ATeam: Mr Brightside
by spookysister7
Summary: Face always gets the girl, but Murdock might have something to say about his latest catch. After befriending a mysterious young woman, the team must rescue her from her evil step-father and his men. He proves more formidable then they could ever imagine.
1. You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You

A-Team: Mr. Brightside

AN: Hello, this is my first A-Team fanfic. This story was inspired by watching all five seasons and the movie plus mp3 overload at work. (I consider only seasons 1-4 canon). Since I hate songfics (mostly) and get irritated when people mention a song but don't include the lyrics, I was reluctant to attempt this. But I see this as more of a suggested playlist. The title for each section is the song title. I will include the lyrics to the songs at the end of each chapter. Hopefully this will work out… Uncharted territory. Anyway, have fun reading, muchachos!

P.S. No, the romantic interest is NOT a teenager. You'll see…

"_God, the sky is big and my plane is really cruddy, please don't let me crash!" – Murdock, Season 4_

Chapter 1

**You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You**

"You scratch my van, Sucka, and you'll meet Mr. Fist," B.A.'s gravelly voice echoed off the brick walls as the four men approached the red-striped vehicle.

Murdock laughed maniacally, "Mon Frere! You do not understand the wondrousness that is the Great Murdockini!"

Face shook his head as he slid open the black van door, taking his usual seat. Murdock managed to elbow him in the gut and get his checkered 'magician's cape' caught around the armrest before finally falling into his chair.

Hannibal chomped on his cigar, smiling slightly at his men's antics.

"Alright, guys," Hannibal said as B.A. pulled out, tires squealing, "Decker's getting a little too close lately. This job…"

Gunshots interrupted him and Face jumped as a bullet pinged against the door. There was a squeak of fear behind him and Face turned to glare at Murdock.

"Tell me you didn't sneak a rabbit in here!" Face said.

"If you got an animal in my van, I'm gonna kill you, Fool!" B.A. shouted as they tore around a corner, the gangsters they were fighting this week keeping up with the red-trimmed van.

"I didn't!" Murdock whined, yanking off his top hat and pulling out the stuffed bunny, "See, Viper's right here!"

"You named your stuffed rabbit Viper?" Face asked incredulously.

"More to the point," Hannibal interrupted, his eyes narrowing as he looked at the shadows behind the men's chairs, "If there's no animal in here, what made that sound?"

Face and Murdock shared an apprehensive glance as they slowly turned to the area behind them, pistols appearing in their hands as if by magic.

Another whimper of fear emanated from the darkness and then a small voice.

"P…Please," a girl stuttered softly, "I'm sorry… I… I didn't mean to get in your way. I won't say anything, promise. P…Please don't shoot me."

The van slowed as B.A. lost their pursuers. Hannibal turned his seat, his silver pistol gleaming in the early morning sunlight.

"Come out where we can see you. Slowly," he commanded.

There was a long moment of silence and then movement. They all relaxed slightly as the form appeared from the darkness.

It was no wonder they hadn't seen her. The girl was small and dirty, her face streaked and her clothing so covered in dirt that the original color was lost to a dingy black. The hood of her thin sweatshirt covered most of her darkly matted hair and her tattered pants were at least two sizes too big. The straps of a well-worn backpack dangled from her shoulders as if they had been sewn to her clothing. Her tennis shoes were threadbare and the soles worn nearly through.

Hannibal estimated her age to be around 16 or 17. The van pulled up in an empty parking lot behind a supercenter and stopped. B.A. pulled the parking brake and turned around with a scowl.

"How'd you get in my van?" he growled before he turned. His face immediately softened. She was just a kid.

She wiped her face ineffectively, spreading the dirt around as her tears liquefied it. She wasn't openly sobbing, but tears escaped her eyes at steady intervals.

"I'm sorry," she said softly, "I was just looking for somewhere dry to sleep. The door was unlocked. I thought I could just stay the night and leave before anybody knew I was here." Her eyes flicked from one gun to another and she swallowed. "Please don't kill me."

In concert they lowered their weapons and Murdock grinned as he spun his gun around before tucking it into the back of his pants.

"We won't hurt you," B.A. grumbled.

"That's right," Hannibal said, grinning cockily around his cigar, "We're the good guys!"

The girl eyed them doubtfully, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth.

"What's your name?" B.A. asked gently; the others automatically deferring to him when it came to kids. He had a way with them.

"Angie," she said after a moment's pause.

"Well, Angie, welcome! We're the A-Team!" Hannibal said, "He's Face," Hannibal introduced, gesturing to the handsome blonde to her right, "The magician for the day there is Murdock," Murdock doffed his hat and wiggled his eyebrows, drawing a giggle from her, "This is B.A." B.A. smiled crookedly, "And I'm Hannibal." Hannibal finished the introductions and leaned forward, looking at her seriously, "Now, what's a pretty little thing like you doing sleeping on the streets?"

Angie flinched at his words and seemed to shrink into herself. Her eyes darted towards the sliding door as if trying to estimate her odds of escape. Face reached out and touched her arm, trying to reassure her.

"Don't touch me!" she growled, crouching as she jerked away.

Face raised his hands non-threateningly and looked over at Hannibal in surprise.

"Just let me go," she said lowly.

The men stared at her, surprised at the sudden change in attitude. Her breath came in quick, short pants and her fists were raised slightly at her sides. She was ready to fight them.

"Okay!" Murdock chirped, startling everyone as he spoke, "Where do you want to go? Personally, I like the zoo, ooh, or maybe the beach! The beach is good. Lots of room to run! Maybe we can get a kite! Can we get a kite, Colonel?" Murdock grinned widely, "I love to fly."

Angie's eyes glared in Hannibal's direction when she heard his rank, but otherwise she didn't move.

"Can I go, _Colonel_?" she asked, her voice almost acidic.

Hannibal nodded at Face. Face opened the door and stepped out, backing away a few feet so she wouldn't feel trapped. She slid from the van, backing away slowly as the rest of the men got out of the vehicle and came around to Face's side. They all stayed in her view so she wouldn't feel threatened.

"You don't have to go," Hannibal said, "Like I said, we are the good guys. And you look like you could use some help."

"Honest," Murdock said gently, "Whatever has happened to you, you don't have to worry about it with us."

"We won't let nobody hurt you!" B.A. said, punching his palm.

Face smiled his most charming and innocent smile.

Angie looked down, her blackened fingers twisting the hem of her ratty hoodie. Her stomach growled loudly.

"Could… Would you just give me a couple of dollars?" she asked softly, without looking up, "I haven't really eaten in a while."

Hannibal's expression was drawn as he nodded at Face. Face pulled out his wallet and started counting through their petty cash. He pulled out a twenty and raised his eyebrow at Hannibal. B.A. shook his head and Face rolled his eyes as he pulled out another couple of bills.

"Here you go," Face said, forcing a smile as he handed over a hundred bucks.

Angie looked up in surprise as she hesitantly took the money from him. She counted it quietly and then looked up at them, tears brimming in her eyes.

"A hundred dollars?" she said weakly, "You're just giving me a hundred dollars?"

"If it is the only way you'll let us help you…" Hannibal said with a shrug.

"Thank you," she whispered fervently.

Angie turned and walked away slowly, her shoulders hunched under the weight of her faded purple backpack. Hannibal sighed and shook his head.

"Poor kid," B.A. muttered, "She's not going to make it much longer on her own."

"Probably going to blow the money on drugs or booze," Face said jadedly.

Murdock glared at him, "You don't know that." Face just shrugged.

"Guys," Hannibal interrupted, taking a step forward.

Angie had stopped at the corner of the building, just before she would have been out of their sight. Straightening her shoulders, she turned back towards them and one side of her face twitched up slightly in a half-smile.

With long, strong strides she came back to them, stopping just before Hannibal. She held out the money, her small, soft hand briefly covering his as she handed the cash to him.

"So, can we stop for food before we hit the beach?" she asked.

**You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You**  
**Michael Buble**

You're nobody 'til somebody loves you

You're nobody 'til somebody cares

You may be king, you may possess the world and its gold

But gold won't bring you happiness when you're growing old

The world still is the same, you'll never change it

As sure as the star shines above

You're nobody 'til somebody loves you

So find yourself somebody to love

The world still is the same, you'll never change it

As sure as the star shines above

You're nobody 'til somebody loves you

So find yourself somebody to love

So find yourself somebody to love


	2. Please Forgive Me

Chapter 2

**Please Forgive Me**

Angie giggled as she watched Murdock run with his kite, trying to get it into the air for the umpteenth time. Most of the effort went into making airplane noises, so it was not surprising that it failed to achieve flight.

The remnants of their breakfast were scattered around her on the tablecloth she sat on, formerly Murdock's cape. It was too cool to get wet but Face sat sunning himself, expensive sunglasses completing his look. Hannibal sat near her, the sweet smoke from his cigar occasionally drifting in her direction. B.A. was half-buried under the hood of his van, checking to make sure the bullets hadn't done any damage.

Angie closed her eyes momentarily as she raised her face towards the sun.

Taking the opportunity, Hannibal looked her over. She was pretty. He could tell. When she was cleaned up, she would probably be gorgeous. He wondered, was that why she was so dirty? Was it camouflage? Self-inflicted ugliness?

Certain other things were noticeable now, in the bright sunlight. She was older than she looked. Her shape, hidden by the oversized clothes, was now faintly visible as she leaned back. She wasn't a user- her perfect teeth and smooth forearms attested to that. So why was she on the street?

Murdock came crashing down beside her, the kite landing nearly on his head.

"Come on, Ang! You gotta help me get this puppy off the ground!" Murdock whined, pouting. Sure enough, the kite had a picture of puppies on it.

Angie chuckled, the expression lightening her face.

"Fine," she said, standing and picking up the kite, "But this time less sound effects and more running in the right direction."

Murdock followed on her heels like the obedient puppy he was imitating and they ran down the beach.

Hannibal stood and strode over to Face. Crouching down, he spoke.

"You and B.A. get her some clothes. Something nice. She'll need everything."

Face pushed the glasses up on his head. "Why can't she pick out her own?" he asked, confused.

Hannibal smiled, "Call it a hunch," he said as puppies flew overhead.

Face rolled his eyes and stood, dusting the sand off.

"Come on, B.A. Hannibal's on the jazz again. We've got work to do."

-000-

Angie stood outside the hotel room door, her backpack straps clutched in a white-knuckled grip.

Hannibal watched her as his men unloaded their gear from the van, placing it inside the next room.

"Go on," he said softly, coming to her side. He held out a bag of clothes and a key, "Here's the only key. No one will bother you. We got you something clean to wear and the room is yours. No one will hurt you here."

She took the bag and key from him, staring into his eyes and measuring his honesty. What she found must have satisfied her, because she went in, the deadbolt sliding over quickly behind her.

Hannibal smiled, satisfied.

Thirty minutes later Face sighed for the fourth time.

"Come on, now! How long of a shower is she gonna take? There's only so much hot water in this roach motel!" Face griped, shoving Murdock over on his side of the bed once again. How anyone could squirm so much playing a Game Boy, he didn't know.

Hannibal leaned back against the headboard, "You remember the first hot shower you took when we got home? How long did you take?"

Face frowned and nodded.

"What are we gonna do with her, Hannibal?" B.A. asked, wiping off his milk mustache with the back of his hand.

"Yeah, Colonel, we're not running a babysitting service here," Face said.

Hannibal chomped on his cigar, "You might change your tune in a minute, kid."

Face frowned, his brow furrowed. Before he could ask, Murdock interjected.

"I like her. She's nice."

"Nice or not," Face said, standing and putting his hands on his hips, "We need to get her on her feet and get going! The last thing we need is to get involved in another pro bono case. I'm still digging us out from the last one!"

Hannibal chuckled, shaking his head. He stood and put his hand on Face's shoulder.

"Relax, kid. It sounds like she's done. I'm going to check up on her. Stay here."

Hannibal went to her door, ignoring the muffled argument from their hotel room. Knocking quietly, he waited.

"Yes?" Angie's voice asked softly.

"It's Hannibal. Just wanted to see if you wanted to grab an early dinner with us. We can bring back something if you're not ready."

"Oh," she said, sounding surprised, "I'm not really ready yet… Could you give me a few minutes?"

"Sure!" Hannibal said happily, "But you might want to dress up a bit. It's Face's turn to choose the restaurant!"

"Oh," she squeaked, sounding a little overwhelmed, "O…Okay."

"Great. Be ready in ten!" Hannibal smirked.

Throwing open their door, he said, "Okay guys! Dinner in ten! And Face, it is your turn to choose!"

"Yes!" Face said with a grin of victory.

Murdock and B.A. both moaned.

"Aw, man! I gotta pull out my tux shirt!" Murdock grumbled unhappily.

Ten minutes later the men stood at attention, awaiting inspection.

"Suck it in, Colonel!" Face ordered as he surveyed his 'troops'. He rolled his eyes at Murdock's tux tee, which earned him a grin, and decided not to comment on B.A.'s colorful feather earrings when he heard the warning grumble from the large man.

"We pass inspection, Lieutenant?" Hannibal asked sarcastically.

"Hmm, barely," Face said with a sigh, "But you can only work with what you got."

"Great!" Hannibal said cheerily, "Then let's pick up our date!"

"Date?" Face and B.A. mouthed silently, looking at each other in confusion. Murdock just skipped out on the Colonel's heels, his blue converse clashing with his dress pants.

Hannibal knocked on Angie's door and took a step back.

"Coming!" Angie called, unbolting the lock. The door cracked open an inch and paused. The men heard her take a deep breath. The door opened all the way.

"So," Angie asked softly, her voice a bit shaky and unsure, "How do I look? Is this dressy enough?"

Hannibal grinned widely and held out his arm, "It's perfect," he said with relish, "You look very nice."

She smiled hesitantly and took his arm. His grin grew wider as he turned and led her through his awestruck men.

Face's jaw was hitting the floor, his eyebrows up to his hairline. B.A. opened and shut his mouth like a fish, unable to form any words. Murdock stood stone still, his baseball cap crushed in his white-knuckled grip.

Angie had exceeded Hannibal's expectations. She was wearing a long sundress, the dark blue material complementing her milky white skin. There was a slit up the side that allowed tantalizing glimpses of her muscular legs. The modest v-neck accented her figure and the split sleeves showed her slim arms. The delicate sandals completed the look of a Greek goddess stepping down from her pedestal.

Even without makeup or jewelry, Angie had blossomed from a scruffy youth to a beautiful woman. Hannibal resisted the urge to ask her just how old she really was. Her fingers were already digging nervously into his forearm as she warily eyed his insensate men.

Hannibal chuckled, "Coming guys?" he called, jerking his head towards the van.

Face and B.A. shuddered into movement. Face jogged past them and chivalrously opened the door for her. B.A. started the van as Hannibal took his seat. Face grinned at Angie as he helped her into the back of the van, giving her Murdock's seat. He sat in his customary place, smoothing the lapels of his dark suit.

It took Murdock a few more seconds to come back to himself. Finally, he crawled into the back and sat on the floor behind Face and Angie, his expression grim. Angie looked at him, her eyes wide, and started to stand and offer him his seat back, but Face cleared his throat and shook his head. She looked from Face's reassuring smile to the back of Murdock's head, his eyes on the carpet, and nodded, her lips compressed.

After driving for a few minutes in silence, Angie spoke up.

"I like your feathers, B.A." she said softly.

B.A. threw her a grin over his shoulder, "Thanks," he said proudly.

"May I just say, Angie, that you clean up extremely well," Face complemented.

Angie tucked a strand of dark auburn hair behind her ear and looked down shyly, "Thank you, Face." She cleared her throat lightly, "You all look very nice," she said softly, biting her bottom lip as if to hold in further words.

Hannibal turned in his seat, his black suit bunching slightly, "This may seem a bit impertinent," he said around his cigar, "but exactly how old are you, my dear?"

Even Murdock brought his head up from his examination of the carpet to listen to her answer.

Angie swallowed and straightened in her seat, her hands clasped in her lap.

"I'm twenty three," she said, forcing her voice to stay strong.

The men blinked in surprise. Hannibal had thought maybe twenty.

Angie continued, "It's safer for… people to think I'm younger," she said, shifting uncomfortably, "They won't mess with you as much."

"Hmm," Hannibal said with a nod, "Bear with me for one more question. Why are you living on the streets?"

Angie locked her jaw, her body tightening

"You don't have to tell us," Murdock said softly from his spot on the floor. He grinned crookedly at her when she looked down at him, "We all have things we don't like to talk about."

She looked back up at the Colonel, her eyebrow raised.

"We're here," B.A. interrupted the tense standoff as he ignored the valet and pulled his van into a nearby parking space.

Hannibal let it drop and jumped out of the vehicle.

Face held out his hand to help Angie step from the tall van. As she bent forward, he caught a glimpse of her plain white bra. Face grimaced and shook his head slightly, thinking about the black lace underwear he had passed over in the store. What a waste.

He smiled charmingly as they proceeded into the elegant restaurant.

The dinner was going smoothly, thanks in part to Murdock's unusual silence.

Face kept Angie's attention by his customary method- talking. He told her about the places he'd seen, the beautiful beaches of Monte Carlo, the African safaris, etc. She listened politely, but looked a bit uncomfortable.

Hannibal butted in, eventually, to talk of work. The clients they had this week were a homey couple, young and in love. They had bought some property to open a bistro, but it turned out that the place was practically condemned. A quick paint job and a bribed inspector had left them destitute. And this wasn't the first entrepreneur caught in the scheme.

B.A. said they could fix up the place, and they already had 'acquired' the supplies necessary, hence the gunfire earlier. All that was left was some hard labor and one of Hannibal's plans.

"I can help," Angie said softly as they tucked into dessert. She picked at her fruit bowl when they all looked up at her, "I can paint. Or sand things. I'm pretty good with tools."

Face looked at her, mildly put out. Who volunteered to do grunt work?

Hannibal just grinned, munching into his pecan pie, "We appreciate any help we can get. That'd be great."

Angie smiled slightly.

-000-

They were all settling in for the night. B.A. and Hannibal had decided to share one King sized bed and Face got the other. Murdock wisely decided to make a nest on the floor, absconding with several extra pillows and blankets.

"Oops," Face said with a mischievous grin, "I must have forgotten to buy her any pajamas!" He snatched up the tops of his pjs, his muscular chest proudly displayed as he scurried out the door and over to Angie's room.

He knocked confidently and waited as he heard her footsteps pad softly closer.

Angie opened the door slowly, still dressed in blue but barefoot.

"Forgot to buy pajamas!" Face said happily, holding up the tops to his pinstriped pjs.

Angie looked at the clothes doubtfully.

Face leaned forward, his hand falling playfully to the elastic waist of his pants, "I thought you'd want the top, but the bottom is fine with me," he teased, grinning suggestively.

"No!" Angie said quickly, mildly panicked, "I'll take it!" She snatched the shirt from his hand and started to shut the door. She paused, "Thanks," she whispered.

Face bowed at her as she closed the door, flexing his muscles. He sauntered back to his room with a grin.

"Gonna have good dreams tonight," he announced with a chuckle.

"Oh, shut up and turn out the light," Murdock grumbled from his nest in the corner.

"Sheesh!" Face muttered, "Wake up on the wrong side of the loony bin?"

**Please Forgive Me **  
**David Gray**

Please forgive me  
If I act a little strange  
For I know not what I do.  
Feels like lightning running through my veins  
Every time I look at you  
Every time I look at you

Help me out here  
All my words are falling short  
And there's so much I want to say  
Want to tell you just how good it feels  
When you look at me that way  
When you look at me that way

Throw a stone and watch the ripples flow  
Moving out across the bay  
Like a stone I fall into your eyes  
Deep into that mystery  
Deep into some mystery

I got half a mind to scream out loud  
I got half a mind to die  
So I won't ever have to lose you girl  
Won't ever have to say goodbye  
I won't ever have to lie  
Won't ever have to say goodbye

Please forgive me  
If I act a little strange  
For I know not what I do  
Feels like lightning running through my veins  
Every time I look at you


	3. Mr Brightside

Chapter 3

**Mr. Brightside**

Hannibal was always the first to arise, able to enjoy the quiet early morning hours. As he finished dressing he heard something outside and peered out the window into the fog.

The door to the van slid open quietly as he watched. Stepping out from the darkness, Angie gathered her blanket around her, only the sleeves of Face's borrowed pjs visible. She tiptoed back to the hotel, her bare feet silent on the asphalt.

Hannibal slipped out the door, silently shutting it behind him. Angie froze outside her room with a quiet gasp.

"Morning," Hannibal said softly.

Angie shifted her weight from one foot to the other, the cement icy against her soles.

"You know," Hannibal said, his eyes on the cigar he pulled from his front pocket, "when I got back from Nam, I slept on the floor. The bed was just too soft."

There was a short pause. Birds started to chirp, welcoming the day.

"Nightmares," she said, barely audible.

Hannibal nodded, "Had those too. Still do. They get better if you share them."

Angie shook her head, looking down, "Not these."

With the quiet click of the latch, she slid back into her room.

Hannibal finished his cigar, staring out into the rapidly lightening sky. He didn't move when one of his men slipped out the door and came to his side.

Tugging absently on the sleeves of his cowboy jammies, Murdock cleared his throat.

"Question, Captain?" Hannibal asked.

Murdock nodded, "What do you think made her so afraid, Colonel?" he whispered, eyes glancing towards her door.

Hannibal shrugged and sighed, "I don't know, but I have a bad feeling we're not going to like it when we find out."

-000-

Angie's outfit of the day was no less sensational but a lot more practical to work in. The tight jeans hugged her curves and the brown plaid work shirt was knotted up at just the right length to allow glimpses of creamy white skin whenever she lifted her arms.

Since she was painting, a khaki baseball cap completed her look. Already she was spotted with red paint, drying against her fair completion to the approximate shade of blood.

It wasn't until a large glop landed above her left breast that Murdock realized how disturbing the color was. He forced a grin and stuck his finger into the paint can, brushing the red stuff along his nose and cheeks; he let out an Indian war whoop.

"Shut up, Fool, before I beat the red outta you!" B.A. growled before returning to his power saw.

Murdock ignored him and flailed around the room, pretending to shoot arrows at Hannibal and Face.

Face shook his head and sighed, turning his back on the room to continue his phone conversation.

Hannibal pretended to clutch his shoulder in pain and then 'drew his gun', his forefinger and thumb shooting Murdock from his crouch behind a sawhorse.

Murdock moaned theatrically and fell to the ground. Dragging his body over to Angie, who watched all this in mute amusement, Murdock spoke in broken English.

"You help poor Indian brave hurt in unprovoked attack?"

Angie sighed and shook her head, "I think the attack was perfectly provoked, but I'll protect you," she said with a longsuffering look. Her eyes were smiling.

Murdock almost laughed out loud at Hannibal's expression as Angie stood in front of him and aimed a 'shotgun', cocking it with a realistic sh-shick sound.

"Hands up, Sherriff," Angie commanded.

Hannibal obediently hoisted his hands.

"Now what?" he asked, his eyebrow lofted.

Angie sniffed and raised her chin, gesturing to the 'wounded' man, "Now you and Running Around With Arrows are at my mercy."

"Ooh, sounds intriguing," Face said, sauntering over.

Angie flushed and dropped her hands, "Sorry," she said softly. She turned and went back to work.

"What'd I say?" Face asked Hannibal.

Hannibal frowned, watching as Angie attacked the wall with fervor. Murdock glared at Face before levering off the floor and going to help her.

Murdock grabbed a roller and started on the wall above her reach. After working in silence for half an hour, they finished the room. Murdock looked down and met her eyes.

"Thanks," she said, wiping her cheeks on her shoulders. The paint on her cheeks smeared and she crinkled comically in discomfort. Murdock chuckled.

"Here," he said, putting down the roller and picking up a clean rag. He splashed some water on it from his bottle and smoothed it over her cheeks, wiping away the irritation.

"That's better," he said softly as he washed away the last of the red. Her hand on his jarred him back to reality.

Her soft fingertips brushed the back of his hand as she took the rag from him. Slowly and carefully, she reached up and dabbed at his war paint, removing it in gentle increments.

He stood absolutely still as she worked, watching her expression. She bit her lip as she stretched to reach his forehead, her soft touch tingling across the planes of his face. Her free hand rested on his shoulder for balance. She frowned as she worked on the dual striping across his cheeks, folding the rag to a cleaner spot. Finally, she moved to the stripe that extended down his chin. He held his breath as her fingers hovered over his lips.

She was finished but she didn't move, her eyes locked on his lips. He couldn't hold his breath any longer. With a soft exhalation, his warm breath wafted over her cold fingers.

Angie gasped softly and turned away. She bent and quickly grabbed the paintbrush.

"Got to clean it before the paint dries," she said, her voice brittle. She slipped out the back.

Murdock ran a trembling hand through his hair and clasped the back of his neck, his head shaking slightly.

He looked around, wondering if the guys had seen what had just happened. Thankfully, they all seemed to be consumed in their tasks and the incident had gone unnoticed.

-000-

Face grinned at the group as he came in from his shopping trip.

"Found something special tonight!" he said with a smirk, patting the chest pocket of his double breasted suit.

B.A. rolled his eyes, "What you talking about?"

Face leaned against the wall over the big man's chair, "I figure a little jewelry will soften any woman up. It's a surefire way to get a little heat going, know what I mean?"

Hannibal shook his head, "I know you mean well, kid, but I think you might want to take it slow with Angie."

Face rolled his eyes, "How much slower could I go? We wined, we dined. Besides, she's hot; I'm hot; what's the problem?"

With that, he sauntered out the door.

Murdock sat on the edge of his bed, still staring down at his Game Boy. His jaw was tight, muscles jumping in tension. His shoulders hunched under his leather jacket, and a crack appeared in the small silver machine he held.

-000-

"Angie, you look especially beautiful tonight," Face said, grinning his Cheshire cat grin as he invited himself into her room. She was wearing an outfit he had chosen; a dark green top, almost off the shoulders, and a flowing skirt to match that hit a few inches above the knee. She hadn't put on her pantyhose or heels yet.

Angie looked from the open door to Face and then sighed quietly, "Thank you." She shut the door and turned to face him.

Face leaned carelessly against the small desk, his head thrown back slightly as he tossed his hair into perfection. He held out his hand, the object in it glinting.

"Got you something," he said. Face allowed the necklace to drop between his fingers, the gold chain twisting.

"For me?" Angie asked, her brow wrinkled. She took a few steps towards him.

"Of course! A woman as beautiful as you needs a little adornment!" Face said as he strode to her side. He went behind her and brushed aside her shoulder-length auburn hair. Slipping the chain expertly around her neck, he fastened it with a flourish.

Angie looked down at the delicate chain, exposing more of her creamy neck to his gaze. He leaned down and nuzzled her neck, breathing in the scent of her vanilla shampoo as he kissed below her ear.

He heard a squeak of surprise and continued his explorations, his hands resting on her bare shoulders.

"Face, don't," Angie said softly as his thumbs traced along the tense muscles.

"Shh," he assured between kisses. He gently pushed her right sleeve down just a bit, intending to nibble on that sensitive spot where the shoulder and neck meet. As the green material slid down her arm, the upper part of her back was revealed.

Face jerked back in shock, his hand automatically tightening around her bicep when she tried to pull away.

"What happened to you?" he breathed, his voice escaping him.

"Don't!" Angie cried, attempting to escape his grip, "Let go of me!" she yelled.

Face pulled the back of her shirt down further, accidently tearing it as she twisted in his grip.

The door to her room burst open, slamming against the wall loudly.

The next thing Face knew, Murdock had him pinned up against the wall, his arm against his throat.

**Mr. Brightside**

**Killers**

I'm coming out of my cage  
And I've been doing just fine  
Gotta gotta be down  
Because I want it all  
It started out with a kiss  
How did it end up like this  
It was only a kiss, it was only a kiss  
Now I'm falling asleep  
And she's calling a cab  
While he's having a smoke  
And she's taking a drag  
Now they're going to bed  
And my stomach is sick  
And it's all in my head  
But she's touching his-chest  
Now, he takes off her dress  
Now, letting me go

And I just can't look its killing me  
And taking control  
Jealousy, turning saints into the sea  
Swimming through sick lullabies  
Choking on your alibis  
But it's just the price I pay  
Destiny is calling me  
Open up my eager eyes  
'Cause I'm Mr Brightside

I'm coming out of my cage  
And I've been doing just fine  
Gotta gotta be down  
Because I want it all  
It started out with a kiss  
How did it end up like this  
It was only a kiss, it was only a kiss


	4. Time Is Running Out

Chapter 4

**Time Is Running Out**

Hannibal and B.A. were playing gin rummy.

Murdock sat staring at the wall between the two rooms. His hands were clenched into fists, his legs bouncing rapidly. His baseball cap was pulled down low to hide the glisten in his eyes and his flushed cheeks.

When he heard her scream the first time, he froze, half-thinking it was just in his head.

At her second scream, he jumped to his feet and leapt out the door, Hannibal and B.A. on his heels.

Murdock slammed through her door, the latch providing little resistance. He didn't flinch at the bang he caused but continued moving, taking in the scene and reacting.

He saw Angie's expression of angry terror as she fought against the grip Face had on her bicep. He saw the torn shirt that hung from one arm, tattered edges trailing to her waist and exposing her torso and white bra.

Murdock snarled, baring his teeth instinctively as he ran forward. He barreled into Face, his momentum shooting them both into the nearby wall with bone-jarring force. He held the smaller man against the wall, only the last fragments of his control stopping him from pressing his arm hard enough against the man's neck to crush his larynx.

"Captain!" Hannibal shouted.

Murdock turned his face towards his commander slightly.

Hannibal approached him slowly, his hands out and unthreatening, "At ease, Captain. Let the Lieutenant go."

Murdock shook his head as if brushing off an irritation.

"That's an order, _Captain_!" Hannibal emphasized, "Let Face explain," he continued in a softer tone.

There was a long pause as Face strained to breathe. Finally, Murdock pulled away and watched dispassionately as the man fell to the ground.

Face coughed and rubbed his throat, glaring up at Murdock.

"Jeeze, Louise! What's _with_ you? You could have killed me!" Face griped hoarsely. He looked over at B.A., who was still standing in the doorway, and then over to Hannibal. Hannibal glared at him.

"You better have a good explanation for this," Hannibal growled, gesturing towards Angie. She was curled up in the corner of her room, mostly hidden by the bed, quietly sobbing.

Face stood and straightened his suit unconsciously, "It isn't what it looks like," he said defensively, "I gave her the necklace I bought her, and of course I had to put it on her. And she was fine with that, she didn't even mind when I started necking. And then I just pushed her sleeve down a little, to get better access, you know, and I saw her back. I asked her what had happened to her and she spazzed out. I was just trying to get a better look when her shirt accidently ripped!"

"What happened to her? What do you mean? What's wrong with her back?" Hannibal asked, concerned.

"Yah, man," B.A. spoke up, "we've seen lots of stuff in Nam that didn't freak you out this much."

"She wouldn't stay still long enough for me to get a good look," Face said, "But from what little I saw… Well, you need to see for yourselves."

Their interest was piqued.

B.A. took another look outside to make sure no one had called the police, but apparently they were the only occupants of this section of the motel. With a nod to Hannibal, he signaled that they were safe.

"Stay back for a minute, kid," Hannibal said to Face as he approached the corner Angie was huddled in.

"Come on now," Hannibal said softly, squatting down, "Everything's okay. Face didn't mean to scare you. You can come out."

"Leave me alone," Angie growled, her tone acidic as she rose to a crouch. Her dark eyes glittered dangerously in the concealing half-light.

Hannibal suppressed a flinch, "Come on, Angel. No one's going to hurt you."

With a primal howl, Angie leapt from her corner and slammed into Hannibal, taking advantage of his unsteady position. As they fell she twisted, managing to roll away and leap to her feet, his pistol in her hands. Her back to the wall, she snarled and aimed the gun at Hannibal; a vision of wildness with her tattered clothing and halo of tangled hair.

There was absolute silence in the room. Hannibal was frozen halfway to his feet. B.A. stood just behind him, his fists clenched. Face and Murdock watched with wide eyes.

"Back away," Angie said icily.

Hannibal opened his mouth to say something, but the click of the safety disengaging made him swallow his words. He rose slowly to his feet, keeping his hands raised. He took a deep breath, and then, as if some signal had been given, Hannibal and B.A. attacked.

Hannibal went for the gun, shoving it up and out of her hands. B.A. went for the girl, his massive arms encircling her easily. Hannibal backed away as she screeched, punching and kicking ineffectually as B.A. forced her back onto the bed, pinning her there.

"Don't hurt her!" Murdock yelled over her screams. Face held him back from interfering.

B.A. grunted in pain as she clapped her hands over his ears. With the quick slap of leather through belt loops, Hannibal removed his belt and grabbed her hands, tying them tightly to the headboard. She struggled for a few more seconds and then fell eerily silent.

Breathing heavily, B.A. and Hannibal backed away from the banshee they had subdued.

"Holy cow," Face muttered.

Murdock moved towards the bed but was stopped by B.A.'s massive gold-covered arm.

"Let her calm down," the big man said, rubbing his ear.

But Angie seemed strangely calm, almost docile. She had stopped pulling on her restraints and watched them with faint curiosity.

Hannibal sighed heavily and clicked the safety back on his pistol before replacing it against the small of his back.

"Are you hurt?" Hannibal asked, standing over the woman partially unclothed and tied to a bed.

"No," she said softly, "But it doesn't really matter, does it?" She cocked her head, looking directly into Hannibal's eyes, "You'll still get your fun."

Hannibal did flinch now, turning away from her strangely dead eyes.

"What is she talking about?" Murdock whispered, his throat tight.

Hannibal shook his head and looked towards Face. His lips were drawn into a deep frown and he looked his age as he spoke wearily, "Face, I…"

Face knew what he was asking, "I'll talk to her, Colonel," he said, his face expressionless.

"What's going on?" Murdock asked, looking from his C.O.'s stricken expression to Face's mask and finally to B.A.'s sad eyes.

They didn't answer him. Instead, Face went to Angie's side and kneeled cautiously next to the bed.

"Angie," Face said slowly, unsure where to start.

Angie turned her wide eyes on him and tears started streaming from the corners.

"I'm sorry," she said, her voice high, "Please don't punish me. Please, Dad, I'll be good. I won't ever try to escape again, I promise."

B.A. gasped and Hannibal paled. Murdock still looked confused.

"I won't punish you," Face said evenly, "Let me see your back, please."

She looked relieved. Obediently, she turned her back towards him. Face gestured for the men to come look.

"Oh my God," Murdock whispered, his eyes tracking the fine lines of scarring that traced her back. From just below her shoulders to just above the base of her ribs, pale lines crisscrossed her skin.

"Is that…?" Hannibal asked, looking at Face.

"Angie, tell me, what happened to your back?" Face asked, his voice still inflectionless.

"You punished me for trying to escape," Angie said, matter-of-fact.

"What did I do?" Face asked.

"Used your whip," Angie said.

B.A. slammed his fist into the wall, startling her. With a gasp of fear, Angie turned over and looked up at the hole in the plaster.

Her wide eyes looked from B.A. to Face and then skirted over to Hannibal and Murdock. Her eyes went back to Face.

"Are they your friends?" she asked softly.

"Yes," Face said, glancing back at the men.

Angie pulled lightly on her restraints, "You know how much more you like it when I can use my hands," she reminded.

Angie looked over at the Colonel and smiled sweetly, "I know lots of positions."

Murdock ran into the restroom and vomited loudly.

Angie looked towards the bathroom, confusion wrinkling her brow.

"Hannibal, we've got to snap her outta this," B.A. said, almost green himself, "We gotta show her we ain't the men she's thinking we are."

Hannibal nodded, his eyes squinted in tension, "I've got a plan," he said softly, "Tell Murdock to mix up a batch of the knock-out juice we give you for plane trips."

B.A. nodded and fetched Murdock from the bathroom, yanking the pale and trembling man from the room before he could get anymore shocks.

Angie watched it all silently from the corner of her eye, never turning from Face's direction.

**Time Is Running Out**  
**Muse**

I think I'm drowning;  
Asphyxiated,  
I wanna break this spell  
That you've created.

You're something beautiful;  
A contradiction,  
I wanna play the game,  
I want the friction.

You will be the death of me,  
Yeah, you will be the death of me.

Bury it, I won't let you bury it,  
I won't let you smother it,  
I won't let you murder it.

And our time is running out,  
And our time is running out,  
You can't push it underground,  
You can't stop it screaming out.

I wanted freedom;  
Bound and restricted,  
I tried to give you up  
But I'm addicted.  
Now that you know I'm trapped;  
Sense of elation,  
You'd never dream of  
Breaking this fixation.

You will squeeze the life out of me.

Bury it, I won't let you bury it,  
I won't let you smother it,  
I won't let you murder it.

And our time is running out,  
And our time is running out,  
You can't push it underground,  
You can't stop it screaming out.

How did it come to this?


	5. Hold On

Chapter 5

**Hold On**

"You didn't give her too much, did you?" B.A. asked in concern.

"No," Murdock murmured, "She's coming around."

Angie opened her eyes, squinting up into the pale morning sunlight. She looked around in confusion. They were all in the van. They were parked somewhere, because the van wasn't moving, but she couldn't see the motel. She sat up slowly, the world spinning around her for a moment.

"Did I fall asleep?" Angie asked, looking down at herself. She was dressed in Face's pj top, but still had on her green skirt from last night.

"Sort of, yeah," Murdock mumbled, unable to meet her eyes. That seemed to be a common condition as all four men stared at her without really looking at her.

"The last thing I remember," Angie said slowly, trying to piece together what happened, "Face had bought a necklace for me," she looked down and touched the chain lightly, "And he put it on me, and then he…" she paused and blushed, her hand reaching towards the back of her neck, "I'm sorry, Face," she whispered, her voice tight, "I overreacted. I know you weren't trying to hurt me."

"It's okay," Face said quickly.

"Oh, no!" Angie said with a gasp as she looked up at Hannibal, "Oh, God! I didn't hurt you, did I? I mean, the gun didn't go off, did it?" She looked quickly from one man to the next, "You're all okay, right?"

Hannibal sighed wearily, "We're fine. You never fired the gun… Do you remember anything that happened after that?" he asked intensely, leaning forward.

Angie paused, biting her bottom lip as she strained to remember. Finally, she shook her head.

"Did I hit my head?" she asked, running her hands through her hair, searching for a bump.

"No," Hannibal said.

Angie looked up at them, silently examining the shell-shocked expressions they wore. Her jaw locked.

"You know!" she said accusingly.

Face opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off.

"Don't!" she said, "Just don't." She stood suddenly and moved towards the door. Face intercepted her, standing in her way.

"Let me out," she said lowly.

"No," Hannibal spoke up.

She turned towards him, "Why not? Don't tell me you want to hear the whole, sad story, because I can see that you don't!" she yelled, gesturing towards Murdock and B.A.'s obviously terrified faces.

Hannibal stood, stooping slightly to avoid hitting his head on the roof of the van.

"You had a flashback last night!" he said, "We all know what one looks like, and we know what it takes to cause them! You can't go on like this!"

Angie glared at him, "I can and I will! I've been fine on my own. I don't know how you think you could help me anyway!"

"I hardly call sleeping in the streets and eating garbage fine! And what if you'd slept in some other men's van? Do you think most of the men in this town would have just let you go?" Hannibal asked. He continued before she could comment, his voice dropping, "And when you offered yourself to us at the motel, how many men wouldn't take advantage of you?"

"Offered…" Angie said weakly, her face paling. She stumbled back and collapsed heavily to the floor, shaking. "Oh, God, I didn't. Please, tell me I didn't," she whispered, her hands covering her face.

Hannibal and Face sat back down and waited for her to collect herself.

"Okay," Angie said brokenly, "You made your point. You're great guys and I'm a crazy person. What do you want from me? Why don't you just cut your losses and ditch me?"

"You're not crazy," Murdock said softly, "and we don't leave our friends."

Angie looked up at him and then glanced to the others, "Friend?" she asked, her eyes wide, "You're my friends?"

"What'd ya think we were, Sister?" B.A. said gruffly.

Angie chuckled and looked at him fondly, "I've got friends," she said, shaking her head in amazement.

"It can't be that big a deal," Face drawled.

Angie turned towards him, tears in her eyes, "It's a huge deal," she said.

Face looked taken aback at her intensity and Hannibal leaned forward, sensing there was even more to her story then they already knew.

"Tell us," Hannibal commanded.

Angie quirked a sad smile, "You want the whole story, or the abridged version? I warn you now; you might want to have a barf bag ready."

"Too late," Murdock muttered.

Angie sighed, "I guess I'll start at the beginning," she said.

"A very good place to start," Murdock sang quietly. Angie shot him a small grin. He smiled back tightly.

"When I was 7, my mom remarried. She told me to call him Dad, and that was fine with me because I never knew my real dad. He left before I was born. We lived in a good neighborhood, in a nice house my mom had inherited from her dad when he died- when I was about 3. She had also inherited a good sum of money from him, which is why Dad married her."

Face started to speak, but Angie cut him off, "And, no, she didn't know that. She thought they were in love." Angie looked at Face critically, "In fact, he looks kinda like you, except he has dark hair. You know what I mean," she said, looking at the other men, "Pretty, slim, _charming_," she spat.

Hannibal chuckled at Face's affronted expression.

"She's got you pegged, Fool," B.A. snickered.

"Can we continue, please?" Face whined.

Angie sighed and nodded, "Anyway, everything was okay for a while. He ignored me, I ignored him. And then Mom got sick," she said softly, "I was 15. I took care of her, did everything for her. When I went to school, there was a nurse there to help her. I think…" Angie faded out to a pained whisper, "I think he killed her."

"Your… Dad?" Hannibal asked. She nodded and chuckled darkly, her mouth twisted.

"The joke was on him. She left the bulk of her estate to me. But I'll explain that later. Anyway, while she was sick, I discovered some… unpleasant facts about dear old Dad." Angie seemed to shrink then, pulling into herself as she spoke, barely above a whisper, "He came to my room. I tried to fight him, but he said he's hurt Mom if I didn't cooperate."

All four men had their fists clenched angrily.

"I didn't tell her," she whispered, looking up at them with wide, wet eyes, begging them to understand, "How could I hurt her like that? She was so sick!" Angie sniffled and shook her head, "Anyway, I graduated when I was 17. Mom managed to hang on that long, barely. When she… died," Angie swallowed back more tears, "I swore I would expose Dad for what he was- a monster. What would hold me back? Especially when I found out that I would get the house and the money when I turned 18."

Angie looked up at them, her eyes dark and cold, "Pride goeth before a fall," she rasped, "I forgot one thing. I'm a girl; he's a man." She laughed. The unnatural harshness caused the men to wince.

"No one would miss me," she said softly, "I had graduated, and I didn't have any friends, for obvious reasons."

"Not even one?" Murdock asked, sounding dismayed.

Angie looked at him, her head cocked, "What girl would I expose to this? What boy would I trust?"

"Oh," Murdock exhaled, looking gut-punched.

"How long?" Hannibal asked.

Angie turned to look at him, "He controlled my money until I turned 18," she explained, "Unless I was disabled… or insane." She laughed again, "He had a whole year to make me insane," she said with a manic grin.

Murdock shuddered and pulled at his hair. The others just closed their eyes and swallowed.

"When I was certified certifiable, things got worse," Angie said her voice dry, "After all, who calls the police when a crazy person screams? Who listens to a madwoman?"

Murdock nodded, "Been there, done that," he murmured. Angie looked at him in confusion, but the other three men looked at him with sad, somewhat guilty expressions.

"The first few days were the worst. I had to learn the rules; how to behave with his 'friends'. And he had to discover what I couldn't take," Angie said, her voice tight.

"I thought…" Hannibal asked, leaning back as he absorbed the implications of her words.

"More than just him?" Face asked suddenly.

"I said it got worse, didn't I? At least after the twins, he only let one in at a time. And they had to be careful, for the sake of the next guy." She sighed tiredly, looking down, "When they'd broken me sufficiently, I got to leave my room; at least in the mornings. They had me clean the house dressed in this French maid outfit," she shuddered, "Dressed, that's a laugh. Not enough material on that getup for a toddler. Easy access, that was key. And the fact that, even if I somehow managed to escape, I couldn't go out in public like that." She looked up and grinned viciously, "But I did escape, twice!"

"And that's how you got the… marks?" Hannibal asked, gesturing towards her back.

Angie shrugged, "He didn't want to leave marks you could see under the clothes. The first time wasn't planned well. I saw an opportunity and went for it. Didn't even get out of the yard." She leaned forward conspiratorially, "I planned for a year to escape the next time. When the old man died, it was just icing on the cake."

Their expressions of shock made her snicker, "I didn't kill him, at least not directly. He had a heart attack. Or an aneurism. Something like that. I took his clothes and his keys. They weren't expecting him to be done for a while, so I had enough time to get out before they knew something was wrong. Dumped the car a few miles away. Been free for almost nine months now."

"Nine months?" Hannibal asked, "Isn't that long enough to find a place to stay, get some work, something?"

Angie shook her head, "How? With what? No ID, no Social Security Number- at least none that I could use. And I can't even beg on street corners. I have to stay hidden. All it would take is one of his men seeing me and I'd be back there before I could sneeze. And he's still looking, believe me. I'm his golden ticket."

"This guy got a name?" B.A. snarled, looking to Hannibal for approval. Hannibal nodded, already planning their assault.

"No," Angie said, standing and crossing her arms, "Why do you think I haven't given you any details? No names, no addresses, not even much of a description? I don't want you getting hurt because of me. I don't want to drag anyone else into this!"

"We want to help you!" Face said, standing as well. All the men stood, half-hunched but resolute, "You can't live life in fear like this!"

Angie looked at them and then looked down, "Just… let me think about it, please," she said softly. She gestured towards the door, "Can I catch my breath? It's a little close in here."

Hannibal nodded to Face, who opened the door. Angie stepped out of the van and started walking towards the empty beach, her arms still wrapped around her. The men got out and gathered around a nearby picnic table.

"I'm gonna walk for a while, 'kay?" Angie asked, turning slightly towards them.

Hannibal nodded, "Murdock, go with her," he said tersely, his mind still unraveling what he had heard.

Murdock nodded in acknowledgement and sprang towards her, his lanky legs allowing him to reach her side in just a few steps. Angie looked up at him and sighed, shaking her head.

"Don't need a babysitter," she murmured.

"How 'bout a friend?" Murdock responded.

She stared at him, her eyes studying his face.

He smiled uncomfortably and yanked his baseball cap out of his pocket, self-consciously putting it on to cover up his receding hairline. He pulled it low, almost covering his eyes with the brim.

"So…" he said, fighting the urge to break the tension with a joke, "We walking?"

Without a word, Angie turned to look at the sea, the early morning sun glinting like gold on the white caps. She walked, her bare feet squeaking on the wet sand. Murdock stayed close to her side, just far enough away that their arms didn't brush and his Converse didn't get damp from the edges of rogue waves.

They strolled for a while in silence. Murdock watched the gulls fly overhead, saw the distant sails of ships, heard the clang of far-off buoys.

"Hannibal said you guys had flashbacks," Angie said suddenly, startling him. He looked down at her, "Does that include you?" she asked, still walking and looking out at the sea.

Murdock couldn't hold back a scoff of disbelief, "You mean Faceman hasn't warned you about me?"

Angie stopped short, turning to glare up at him, "Warned?" she asked, her voice tight, body tense.

Murdock shrugged and smiled bitterly, "I'm the one they're talking about. I'm a crazy man. Live in the psycho ward of the V.A. and everything."

"So who screwed you?" Angie asked bluntly.

Murdock looked shocked, taking a step back.

"W-What?" he stuttered.

"You're not nuts," Angie said firmly, "So who screwed you? Who dumped you there?" Angie paused and looked in the direction they had come from, "Them? What, they just get you out when it's convenient for them?"

"Don't!" Murdock growled, stepping forwards angrily, "Don't talk about them like that! You have no idea…"

"Then tell me!" Angie yelled, "Because I don't get it! I don't get any of you! Especially you!"

"Get used to it!" Murdock spat, "I don't get me! Half the time_ I_ don't even know who I am!"

"Same here!" Angie screamed, looking up from surprisingly close.

They realized their proximity at the same time and froze, breathing heavily.

"Do you always yell at guys you like or am I just special?" Murdock breathed.

"Don't know," Angie whispered, "Never liked one before."

"Can I kiss you?" Murdock asked, aware of just how fast this could go wrong.

Angie looked at him intensely, "Yes," she said finally. She paused, "Please."

Murdock grinned and leaned down, pressing his lips gently to hers. She tasted of sweat and tears and fear and cotton candy.

He pulled away, "Okay?" he whispered.

Angie smiled crookedly, "Yeah."

She took a step back and they started walking again.

"I think of flying," Murdock said, "Open sky, nothing but clouds and freedom."

"When you're scared?" Angie asked.

"Or when I feel a flashback coming on. I'm a pilot, you know." Murdock added with a proud smile.

"Cool," Angie said, smiling up at him. Her smile faded quickly and he stopped.

"What?" he asked, "What's wrong?"

"I used to sing," she said softly, "to myself. When I was scared and alone." She shrugged, turning back towards the sea, "Pretty much all the time."

"What did you sing?"

She shrugged again, her arms wrapping around herself, "It changed depending on how bad it was. Relatively speaking, of course." She started humming, barely audible over the crash of the waves.

Murdock stepped closer to her and tilted his ear in her direction. Just above a whisper her clear, low voice reached his ears.

"Great is Thy faithfulness. Great is Thy faithfulness. Morning by morning new mercies I see. All I have needed Thy hands hath provided. Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me."

Tears were running down her face and she stopped. Murdock put his hands on her shoulders and pulled her back against his chest so that she could both feel and hear him join her song.

"Summer and winter…" he continued the next verse, his deep voice rumbling against her.

She sobbed once and then continued, her voice louder, joining with his in a strange duet.

"Springtime and harvest. There is no shadow of turning with Thee. Thou changest not; Thy compassions they fail not. Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me."

They fell silent for a long time, breathing together under the mid-morning sun.

Murdock started a new song, "I was sinking deep in sin…"

With a sobbing laugh, Angie joined him, "Far from the peaceful shore…"

"Very deeply stained within, seeking to rise no more. But the Master of the sea heard my despairing cry. From the water lifted me, now safe am I. Love lifted me, Love lifted me. When nothing else could help, Love lifted me."

"Always liked that one," Murdock said softly, "Even though it was more of a sailor's song than a pilot's."

"My favorite," Angie said, leaning her head on his hand, "Thank you."

-000-

He held her hand as they walked back, singing snippets of long forgotten songs to each other. She laughed as he recounted Hannibal and Face's frequent renditions of 'You Are My Sunshine'.

"Looks like you had a nice walk," Face snarked lightly as they strode up.

Angie smiled mischievously at him, "Murdock was just telling me what a great duet you and Hannibal make!"

Face moaned theatrically and she giggled. Hannibal looked at Murdock with his brow raised, a small smile on his face. Murdock shrugged depreciatingly and grinned.

"So," Hannibal asked, "you make a decision?"

Angie's hand tightened around Murdock's and he looked down at her in concern.

"Can…" Angie asked softly, clearing the frog from her throat, "May I stay with you guys a little longer before I decide?"

Murdock could feel her brace for rejection, trying to pull her fingers from his. He didn't let her go, keeping her hand pressed to his side.

Hannibal looked at her, his blue eyes poignant, "Of course," he said.

Murdock felt the shudder of her relief through their connection and wondered at the fact that her fear must be so much stronger.

"Thank you," she said sincerely.

"Well," Hannibal said loudly, "We've got work to do! Let's head out!"

**Hold On **  
**Jonas Brothers**

We don't have time left to regret (hold on)  
It will take more than common sense (hold on)  
So stop your wondering take a stand (hold on)  
There's more to life than just to live (hold on)

'cause an empty room can be so loud  
It's too many tears to drown them out  
So hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on

One single smile a helping hand  
It's not that hard to be a friend  
So don't give up stand 'til the end  
There's more to life than just to live

'cause an empty room can be so loud  
It's too many tears to drown them out  
So hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on

When you love someone  
And they break your heart  
don't give up on love  
Have faith, restart  
Just hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on

When it falls apart  
And your feeling lost  
All your hope is gone  
don't forget to hold on, hold on

'cause an empty room can be so loud  
It's too many tears to drown them out  
So hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on

When you love someone  
And they break your heart  
don't give up on love  
Have faith, restart  
Just hold on, hold on


	6. The Only Exception

Chapter 6

**The Only Exception**

The bistro was almost completed, and it looked wonderful. B.A.'s plans and Face's tastes had combined superbly. Angie was setting the tables with Murdock at her side juggling the crystal and imitating a posh maitre d'.

"Head's up!" Hannibal said, sauntering in the front door, "We've got company!"

Murdock set the glasses down quickly, and he, Face and B.A. jogged behind the bar, pulling out their semi-automatics and tossing a huge gun to Hannibal.

"Angie, get behind the bar," Hannibal commanded, his 'baby' cradled in his arms, "and stay down!"

Angie watched all this with wide eyes. She turned to Murdock, hopelessly lost.

"It'll be alright," Murdock reassured softly, squeezing her shoulder, "This is just part of the job!" He grinned widely and gave her a peck on the cheek before lightly shoving her towards the bar.

Angie stumbled behind the counter, ducking down and curling up as small as she could get. Looking at the floor-to-ceiling mirrors, she could see some of the action taking place.

A town car screeched around the corner, machine guns belching thousands of bullets towards Hannibal. She didn't know where the others had gone, but her heart leapt into her throat as the older man just stood there, his gun perched silently on his shoulder.

The next few seconds were a blur of explosions and flashes of gunfire. The town car flipped, skidding down the street on its roof. She saw the driver and the shooter crawl out with only a few scratches. The machine gun resumed firing as reinforcements squealed into the fray, beaters and BMWs alike. Angie barely recognized the van as it roared out of the alleyway, armored like a tank.

A series of huge explosions blinded her and she ducked down as debris shattered the front window. The reek of spilled liquor and burning rubber permeated her senses as she tried to avoid the shards of window and bottles that landed just in front of her.

Sudden silence seemed ominous and Angie held her breath, listening past the distant sirens and tinkling glass for any sign of her friends. She peeked out over the counter, taking in the destruction.

It was a war zone. A smoky haze filled the street, slowly being dispersed by the spray of a broken fire hydrant. She rose to her feet, peering into the gloom, her hands clenching the granite tightly.

Finally, a shadow appeared from the smoke, his confident gait giving him away.

"Face," Angie murmured in relief, nearly sinking to the floor. He was okay. That meant that the others could be too.

"Angie, get down!" Face shouted, his rifle raised and pointing towards her.

Angie fell to the ground before his words even processed, the bullets passing above her shrieking like wraiths. Two sets of footsteps ran away from her, the back door slamming closed loudly.

Face ran past her, his weapon still ready. A few seconds later he returned, smiling at her as she looked up at him from the glass-covered floor.

"You can get up now," he said, giving her a hand, "It's safe."

Angie shakily gained her footing without a word and followed Face to a nearby table. He righted it and dragged over a couple of the chairs that weren't covered in glass. She sat stiffly, watching as the womanizing conman she knew efficiently checked the clip of his rifle and loaded another round into the chamber.

"All clear!" Hannibal's voice drifted in, his booted feet crunching through the glass as he approached the bistro, "Have to get us a new plate glass window," he said to Face as he pulled out a fresh cigar, his gun hanging from its shoulder strap.

"Told you we should have waited until after the bad guys attacked to install it," Face griped, "You know how much those things cost?"

"Crazy Fool nearly blew up my van, Hannibal!" B.A. growled, dragging Murdock into the bistro by the collar of his jacket.

"I knew what I was doing! I'm an expert in my field!" Murdock said in a haughty Austrian accent, jerking his collar from B.A.'s grip.

"Yeah, an expert fool!" B.A. said, shaking his head.

"Precisely!" Murdock said with a grin. He looked over at Angie's shell-shocked expression and his grin faded.

"You okay?" he asked, drawing the other men's attention to her.

"What _are _you guys?" Angie asked, her voice rising in pitch as she gestured out the hole that used to be the window.

"We're the A-Team," Hannibal said simply, pulling off his gloves, lighting his cigar, and leaning against the counter.

"I know that," she said, her volume increasing, "I thought that meant you were some kind of ex-military fix it guys, or something! Not Rambo times four!"

"Hey, I like that!" Face said with a grin.

"We are the 'fix it guys'," Hannibal explained patiently, "We just take cases that need a little more fix than usual."

"So you blew up an entire block?" Angie asked loudly.

Hannibal shrugged and grinned.

"Chill, Muchacha!" Murdock said, beating the dust off his cap, "I told you, it's just part of the job! We sent the bad guys a little message," he finished in his best Bogart.

"Holy…" Angie breathed, staring at them with wide eyes. Suddenly she grinned, her eyes flashing familiarly. Face and B.A. shared a look.

"Oh, no," Face muttered to B.A., "She's on the Jazz."

Angie stood and walked over to Hannibal. Face and B.A. watched her warily, but Murdock and Hannibal seemed oblivious to her sudden change in attitude.

She reached up and took the cigar from Hannibal's mouth, holding it carefully between her thumb and forefinger. Before Hannibal could protest, she grabbed the collar of his jacket and yanked him down to her level. She kissed him. His shocked blue eyes were wide as she pulled away and placed his cigar into his gaping mouth.

"Best friends _ever_!" she said, still grinning as she kissed B.A. and Face on the cheek.

Murdock looked confused and wounded; his big brown eyes following her every motion.

Angie strode to his side and punched him solidly in the arm.

"Hey!" he whined, "How come they get kissed and I get punched?"

She grinned up at him, "Because," she stressed, "all that pushing to let you help me, and you fail to mention you guys are caped crusaders! Here I was thinking I was gonna get your legs broken, and you guys do _this_ for a living!"

"Well, I was wearing a cape when you met me," Murdock said, pouting.

Angie stroked his cheek tenderly, her expression serious as she looked into his eyes, "Murdock," she whispered, "I can stay with you." Her voice broke and a tear ran down her cheek.

Murdock held her hand against his cheek, his other hand brushing away the tear.

"Why you crying, Muchacha?" he asked softly, his brow creased.

She laughed wetly, "Kiss me, please," she asked.

He grinned crookedly, still confused, "Any time," he said, bending down to kiss her.

Instead of pulling away, her arms wrapped around his neck, drawing him closer. Her curves fit against his, her fingers tangled in the soft hairs at the base of his skull.

With hesitant slowness, Angie's tongue pressed against his lips. Surprised but pleased, he immediately granted her access, shuddering as her soft tongue tickled the roof of his mouth. His hands slid down to her rear, pulling her even closer to him.

A loud wolf-whistle interrupted them. Pulling away with an embarrassed laugh, Angie buried her face in Murdock's chest. Murdock glared at Face, who innocently blinked up at him.

Hannibal rolled his eyes at their antics, though his expression softened as Angie turned, Murdock's arm still wrapped around her waist.

"Here," Hannibal said, pulling out a wad of money, "We've got some cleaning up to do, but I want you two to scrounge us something to eat for dinner. No Belly Buster's, Captain! And while you're at it, you may want to invest in some nightwear, Angie. I think Face's shirt has worn out its welcome," Hannibal smiled as her face lit up, "See you at seventeen hundred!"

"Yes, Sir!" Angie agreed quickly, yanking Murdock along as she started talking a mile a minute, "You like chicken? There's this great place on 1st, or maybe Chinese? Ooh, wait, Greek food! You ever have a gyro? Or eggplant soup?"

-000-

Murdock was sure Face would have died before letting them shop at Wal-mart, but Angie seemed to like it. She found the Disney pajamas and went to town, finally debating between Bambi and Tinkerbell. Then she saw a Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer set and chose it, hanging the others back up carefully.

"Good choice," Murdock said, blushing as he caught himself eyeing a pink leopard-print bra and panty set and picturing Angie in it. He cleared his throat and started talking, "Bambi always depressed me, the whole dead mom thing, I guess. And Tinkerbell's outfit is a little adult for a cartoon. But Rudolph, there's a character for you; a freak that ends up saving everyone because he's different! And he can fly!"

Angie nodded, biting her lip, "You got parents, H.M.? I mean, are they still around?"

Murdock looked away, "Naw," he drawled, "My mom died when I was 5. Never knew my dad. Grandparents raised me."

"Oh," Angie said softly, "Sorry, didn't mean to be nosey."

Murdock turned towards her and grinned, "Come with me," he said, taking her hand, "I've got an idea!"

They ran through the store and skidded to a stop outside the stationary department. Murdock grabbed two rolls of wrapping paper and tossed her one.

"En garde!" Murdock cried, his wrapping paper roll held forward threateningly.

Angie glanced around at the empty aisle and raised her roll, both hands wrapped tightly around it as she held it like a broadsword. She grinned and swung at his legs, managing to catch him on the thigh solidly.

"Ow!" Murdock whined, limping backwards.

Angie laughed, "Oh, give me a break! Now show me what you can do," she challenged.

Murdock's eyes gleamed as he leapt forward, his entire body stretching gracefully. His graceful lunge turned into a stumbling near-fall as Angie spun out of the way and managed another solid hit on his backside.

With a play-growl, Murdock gained his feet and advanced on her, his roll swinging from side to side with a satisfying swoosh. She tried to cut under his swing, using her shorter stature to her advantage, but he was ready and batted her roll away. In a series of intricate movements, Murdock attacked.

Angie blocked quickly, backing away as he advanced, her two handed grip barely stopping the dented roll from flying from her fingers. One of his swings got through and she hissed as the paper slapped against her arm, causing her to lose her grip. As the tip of her roll dipped, Murdock utilized his advantage. His roll pressed up against her throat gently.

"Got you," he crowed triumphantly.

Angie raised an eyebrow, "Do you?" she asked with an evil grin.

Murdock looked down with a gulp as he felt her roll press up between his legs.

"Touché," he squeaked, wincing at the thought.

Angie laughed and dropped her roll with a hollow thunk.

Murdock shook his head and tossed his roll aside, knocking down a display of tennis balls.

"You're a dangerous one," he said admiringly, ignoring the fuzzy yellow balls rolling over his feet.

"Yes," Angie said with a dismissive snort, "I'm deadly with paper!" She managed to slip on one of the stray balls and landed heavily on her back, groaning up at the fluorescent lights.

A dark shadow blocked the light as Murdock hovered over her, his expression repentant.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," Angie said, taking his hand as he pulled her to her feet. Her left ankle gave out immediately and she nearly fell again before Murdock grabbed her around the waist.

"Not okay," Murdock noted dryly.

"Great," Angie sighed, eyeing the obstacle course of tennis balls still rolling down the aisle.

She let out a squeak of fear as Murdock scooped her into his arms. He froze and looked down at her uncertainly.

"This okay?" he asked softly.

Angie wrapped her arms around his neck to displace some of her weight, "Fine, just startled me," she responded with a reassuring smile.

Murdock grinned and drawled in a thick Texas accent, "Just let Doc Murdock take you into town, little lady, and we'll patch you up faster than a sidewinder on a hot day!"

He carried her to the pharmacy department and set her down on one of the benches for waiting customers. With lightning speed, he yanked out a package of Ace bandages and rolled up her pant leg, wrapping her ankle securely.

"Remember," Murdock said in his 'Dr. Freud' voice, "RICE. Rest, ice, compression, elevation! Now take two aspirins and call me in the morning!" His voice went back to normal, "Or tonight. Or anytime…"

Angie laughed, "Need a phone first, Doc." Her voice lowered, "But I'll keep that in mind." She stood, Murdock hovering carefully, but her ankle held her with minimal pain. "Good job, Doc!" Angie said, slightly surprised.

Murdock looked affronted, "You doubt the genius that is moi?"

"Jamais!" Angie responded, "Je suis très reconnaissant!"

They began conversing rapidly in French, confusing the teenage cashier as they started to argue over the fact that the empty box of Ace bandages they were paying for had actually been used by them. Finally Angie broke the ruse, pitying the poor girl.

"We used it, see?" she said, showing her ankle, "We just want to pay for it."

Murdock made a rude comment in French, to which Angie responded with a swift gesture of no in American Sign Language.

This led to a long argument on their way out, mostly consisting of gestured insults. Murdock managed to knock over another display, this one consisting of potato flakes, as he said she had a hole in her head and her brains had leaked out.

Angie couldn't hold in her laughter.

Murdock cursed in German as he tripped over a box of flakes and nearly took a nose dive.

"How many languages do you know?" Angie asked, shaking her head in amazement.

"Don't know!" Murdock said, walking backwards, "However many it takes!"

They walked to the Greek restaurant, where Murdock showed off another language and ordered enough food to feed a small army. When Angie commented on it, Murdock grinned.

"We are a small army!" Angie laughed as he continued, "Besides, have you seen the Big Guy eat?"

"I've seen you eat, that's enough!" Angie said, laughing as he sputtered in indignation.

They meandered back to the motel. Murdock's arms were full of food and Angie held the drinks, favoring her left ankle still.

"We're home!" Murdock announced as they burst into the room at sixteen fifty-five.

"Bout time, Fool!" B.A. growled, snatching a bag away. Even Face perked up at the appetizing smells emanating from the plain white bags.

"Got Greek food," Murdock said, "Angie told me what to get."

"Smells good," Hannibal said, sniffing appreciatively.

"Lamb and beef gyros with cucumber sauce, eggplant soup, stuffed grape leaves, spinacopita for your vegetable, and for dessert…" Angie said, holding out a Styrofoam box with a flourish, "baklava!"

"Wow," Face said, appearing impressed as he took a bite of the delicious food, "How'd you find out about this stuff?"

"They've got a good dumpster," Angie said casually as she unwrapped her gyro.

The men fell silent, looking at each other sorrowfully.

**The Only Exception**  
**Paramore**

When I was younger I saw my daddy  
cry and curse at the wind.  
He broke his own heart and  
I watched as he tried to re-assemble it.  
And my mamma swore she would  
never let herself forget.  
And that was the day that I promised  
I'd never sing of love if does not exist.  
But darling…

You are the only exception

Maybe I know somewhere deep in  
my soul that love never lasts.  
And we've got to find other ways  
to make it alone or keep a straight face.  
And I've always lived like this  
keeping a comfortable, distance.  
And up until now I swore to myself  
that I'm content with loneliness,  
'cause none of it was ever worth the risk.

But you are the only exception

I've got a tight grip on reality,  
but I can't let go of what's part of me here.  
I know you're leaving in the morning, when you wake up,  
leave me with some kind of proof it's not a dream.

Whooa..

You are the only exception  
And I'm on my way to believing… In you


	7. My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys

Chapter 7

**My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys**

"I'm sorry I can't give you more details, Colonel," Angie said, her brow furrowed, "I was kinda busy trying just to survive there."

"What you've told us is plenty," Hannibal assured her. The evidence of their repast had been swept aside as they discussed Angie's problem.

"Yep," Murdock said forcefully, "The Colonel will come up with a plan that'll have your dad in prison so fast his head'll swim!"

"And I'll make sure he gets some pain first," B.A. growled.

"Thanks," Angie said, smile wavering, "I can't tell you how much I…" her voice broke and she looked down, swiping at her tears.

Hannibal rested a gloved hand on the back of her neck, his thumb rubbing gently, "We know," he said.

"Well…" Face said, standing, "I've got plans to meet someone for drinks, so I'll be heading out!"

"Jennifer or Jessica?" Hannibal asked.

Face looked slighted, "Or?"

"Playa," B.A. muttered, causing Angie to giggle.

Face left and B.A. flipped on the TV, leaving Hannibal chewing thoughtfully on his unlit cigar as Angie shifted uncomfortably and Murdock stared down at the table, shredding a paper bag into a pile.

"Hannibal," Angie asked softly, "would it be okay if I slept in the van tonight? Not that I don't appreciate the room!" she added quickly, "I just…"

"Don't worry about it," Hannibal said, waving his hand, "B.A. will love having his own bed. But I don't know how safe it is in the van…"

"I'll stay with her," Murdock volunteered, and then looked quickly over at Angie, "If that's okay with you?"

"I don't want you giving up a comfortable bed for my sake," Angie said, shaking her head.

Murdock laughed, "You really think Face shares the bed? I sleep on the floor anyway, and one floor feels just like another. Besides, it'll be fun! We'll have a slumber party!"

"Okay," Angie said hesitantly.

"Great!" Murdock said, leaping to his feet and clambering over the bed, "Get your blankets and pillows and we'll get the van all comfy!" He rose up from the side of the bed with blankets piled up in his arms and twisting around his body like an overstuffed toga. He took a step and fell onto the bed face-first, pillows scattering.

Angie left, chuckling at his antics.

As soon as the door closed behind her Murdock stood and gathered his things without a problem. They were neatly folded under his arm within seconds.

"I'll keep an eye on her, Colonel," Murdock said.

Hannibal nodded, "Thanks, Captain. But a little piece of advice; don't get too attached. Once her situation's resolved, we're going to have to let her go."

Murdock looked down, "But, Colonel, she needs…"

"She needs real help, Captain," Hannibal interrupted, "Something none of us are equipped to give her."

Murdock nodded without looking up, "Yes, Sir," he said softly.

Hannibal stood and grasped his shoulder gently, "She'll be okay, Murdock, you'll see."

"Yeah," Murdock said bitterly, pulling away and leaving quickly.

-000-

Murdock dumped his pillows into the back of the van with a deep sigh. He turned when he heard Angie's door open.

"Murdock, look how cute this is!" Angie said excitedly. She was dressed in her new pajamas, managing to look simultaneously childlike and alluring. "Watch!" she said, pressing Rudolf's nose, just above her left breast. A tiny red light lit up and blinked on and off with regular slowness, like a heartbeat.

"I didn't even know it lit up!" Angie said, staring down at her shirt with a grin.

Murdock forced a small chuckle and then turned back to the van. Angie looked at him, puzzled. With a shrug, she stumbled over to the van with her load of blankets and joined him in silently creating a pair of comfortable nests in the back.

Angie grabbed one of the thicker blankets and slipped on her shoes.

"Come on," she said, pulling the still fully clad pilot by the hand.

"Where are we going?" Murdock asked, taking the blanket from her as she nearly tripped.

"You'll see," she said with a grin, "not far."

She led him across the vast cement parking lot behind the motel and into an empty field, the high grass slapping against their thighs. When the lights from the motel no longer lit the grass in strange shadows, she stopped and took the blanket, laying it out. Angie sat down on it and leaned back on her elbows, looking up.

Murdock followed her wordless example. He stared up at the stars for a few seconds.

"What are we looking at?" he asked.

"Just hold still and wait," Angie whispered.

Murdock huffed and fell back, one hand pillowing his head.

As the crickets chirped loudly, lights began to appear.

Angie lay back next to him, shuffling over to speak softly in his ear as she looked up.

"Fireflies," she said, her warm breath tingling against his ear.

Murdock smiled as the stars seemed to come to earth, flittering inches away from them.

"When I'm free," Angie said quietly, still staring up, "I'm going to sell that house. I'll buy one in the country, somewhere where we can always see this. And I'll get you a plane, something small but fast. And B.A. a big garage with everything he needs. And Hannibal can fish in the creek behind the house. And I'll make sure there's a pool for Face." She turned towards him, "I don't mean you have to stay there. I know you have a job to do. It'll just be a home for you all. Somewhere safe." She reached to take his hand but he pulled away, sitting up.

"Angie, I…" Murdock started, yanking off his cap and running a hand through his hair.

"No," Angie said coldly, "It was a stupid idea. I shouldn't have said it." She stood, "Thank you for your help, Captain. I'm going to bed now."

She stormed off, quickly limping towards the motel.

Murdock sighed angrily, shaking his head. Pulling on his hat, he stood and gathered up the blanket. He took the time to fold it carefully, wanting to give Angie a few minutes to calm down before he was stuck in the back of the van with her.

The squeal of tires made him look up. Angie had made it halfway across the motel parking lot, moving fast despite her limp. A black town car roared across the lot, straight at her.

His heart in his throat, Murdock ran, knowing he'd never get there in time.

As the sound of his footfalls changed from the swoosh of grass to the crunch of gravel, the black car skidded to a stop, two well-dressed men popping out of the back.

"Murdock!" Angie screamed, struggling in the men's grip, her face twisted in terror.

He ran faster, pushing himself beyond his limits as they forced her into the back of the car. As he ran he pulled out his gun, aiming at the tires. Gravel flew as the car took off and Murdock started shooting.

Angie hammered on the back window, waving frantically at him. The car turned slightly, revealing a man leaning out of the passenger window. He shot at Murdock, who dodged and kept running behind the car.

Angie shrieked as the man shot again. She watched in horror as Murdock's hat flew off and he fell, crumpling boneless to the ground.

"No!" she whimpered as his still body shrunk in the distance. Just before the car turned the corner, she watched one dark man and one white-haired man run towards him.

"I killed him," she whispered hoarsely, curling up into a ball.

**My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys**  
**Willie Nelson**

I grew up a-dreamin' of bein' a cowboy,  
and Lovin' the cowboy ways.  
Pursuin' the life of my high-ridin' heroes,  
I burned up my childhood days.  
I learned of all the rules of the modern-day drifter,  
Don't you hold on to nothin' too long.  
Just take what you need from the ladies, then leave them,  
With the words of a sad country song.  
My heroes have always been cowboys.  
And they still are, it seems.  
Sadly, in search of, but one step in back of,  
Themselves and their slow-movin' dreams.

Cowboys are special with their own brand of misery,  
From being alone too long.  
You could die from the cold in the arms of a nightmare,  
Knowin' well that your best days are gone.  
Pickin' up hookers instead of my pen,  
I let the words of my youth fade away.  
Old worn-out saddles, and 'old worn-out memories,  
but no one and no place to stay.

My heroes have always been cowboys.  
And they still are, it seems.  
Sadly, in search of, but one step in back of,  
Themselves and their slow-movin' dreams.

Sadly, in search of, but one step in back of,  
Themselves and their slow-movin' dreams.


	8. Harder To Breathe

Chapter 8

Warning: Non-con

**Harder To Breathe**

"So sad to see your dear old Dad?" Robert 'Bob' Williams asked sarcastically, looking down at the pitiful creature standing before him.

Angie didn't respond. She hung heavily in her captors' arms, her tear-streaked face blank.

Bob slapped her. When she didn't react except to blink, he looked up at the men holding her.

"What's with her?" he demanded.

The taller blonde man holding her right arm grinned, "Had to shoot one of her boyfriends," he said.

"Headshot!" the shorter dark haired man on her left side said proudly.

Bob shrugged, "You dump the gun and change the plates?" he asked.

"We'll get right on it, boss," the dark haired man said.

"Do that," Bob said with a long-suffering sigh. He smiled cruelly, "And take your time; my daughter and I have a lot of catching up to do."

Bob yanked Angie up the stairs and tossed her into a dimly lit room. A metal framed bed waited in the middle of the room, the moonlight streaming weakly through the barred window competing with the bare bulb dangling overhead.

Angie didn't struggle as he tied her hands and feet to the bed. There was no point. He straddled her, his knees clamping tightly against her hips. Even when he pulled a knife and pressed it to her cheek, she didn't make a sound.

"I should cut you to shreds," Bob snarled, his knife teasing the soft skin of her throat, "Do you have any idea how much money I wasted looking for you? You know…" his voice lowered, "you're going to make it up. One way…" the knife sliced down the center of her shirt, just skimming her skin, "or another."

His knife continued its work, shredding the thin material viciously. The clothing finally gave up, falling in tatters to the floor. Most of it was stained with blood; razor thin cuts interweaving with slowly seeping tears of crimson on Angie's bare body.

Bob was breathing heavily, his hand shaking from the strength of his control. With slow, deliberate movements he sheathed his knife. Looking down at her trembling, red-stained body, Bob smiled.

He stripped off his clothes, his well muscled chest and lean torso flexing as he climbed on top of her.

"We saw you with your boyfriends," he whispered in her ear, "I must say, I was impressed. Four men?" he chuckled darkly, "They must have kept you in practice."

Angie turned her head away, but he grabbed her chin and forced her to stay still.

"Tell me," he growled, pushing himself into her abruptly.

Angie gasped and whimpered, tears shooting from her eyes.

"Tell me, Angel," Bob repeated, "about the white-haired one. The leader. Did the old man order you around in bed too? What did he taste like? Tell me!" Bob demanded, his body moving constantly over hers.

"Go to hell," Angie hissed, her eyes boring into the ceiling above her.

Bob froze, "What did you say to me?" he whispered dangerously. His hand wrapped around her throat, squeezing ever tighter. Her eyes had started to roll back when he finally released her.

Angie coughed and sucked in air desperately.

"Your boyfriends might have put up with your mouth, but I have other uses for it," Bob said, her hair wrapped tightly in his hand, "You know how this works; now tell me!"

"Cigars," Angie rasped, her eyes closing tightly, "He tasted like cigars."

"More," Bob demanded, resuming his movements.

"Lightning," she said.

Bob laughed, "How does that taste?"

"Power, fire, unpredictability, danger, luck… rain."

"Fine," Bob said, "And the big black guy? How about him? I'd have thought he'd have stretched you out more than this," Bob said, leering, "Did they make him go last?"

"Scratchy," Angie said, swallowing back the insults she wanted to scream, "musky. Sweet milk, almost sour. Motor oil, metal."

"Mmm," Bob moaned, panting heavily. Angie tried to stifle her scream as he came. He took a few moments to catch his breath, fondling her breast.

"What about the pretty boy? How'd the little rich kid get with that group? Slumming? Or maybe the old man likes boys too?"

Angie snarled and tried to buck him off; earning a punch to her temple that had her seeing black spots.

"Tell me," Bob hissed, squeezing her breast painfully.

"Peppermint," Angie breathed, her left eye closed partially as it started to swell, "champagne, juniper, ocean, cocoa butter…" she paused and closed her eyes, "sex."

Bob sneered, "Guess pretty boy's got it going on! What about the last one? The skinny little dweeb in the bomber jacket and baseball cap?"

Angie couldn't hold back a gulping sob of anguish, her body shuddering with the strength of her emotion.

Bob laughed loudly and stroked her cheek in false tenderness, "He's the dead one then? I can just see it," Bob said, gloating, "You liked him best, I bet. And that's what got him killed. Couldn't just be satisfied sharing his bed, could you?"

Angie keened, replaying in her mind Murdock's determined expression as he chased after the car, his dogged persistence to rescue her, and that terrible shot; his head flying back, his hat tumbling to the ground.

"Tell me," Bob crooned, "what he tasted like?" His hand rested on her throat, reminding her of the danger of refusing.

Angie swallowed her tears and turned her face towards the window, straining to see the stars.

"Freedom," she whispered, "Planes and clouds, wind, cotton candy, morning dew, honeysuckle."

-000-

"You sure he doesn't need to go to the hospital?" Murdock heard Face ask, concerned.

Murdock moaned and tried to sit up, his hands instinctively going to his head. Immediately, three sets of arms supported his back, helping him into an upright position.

"Ooh, my head!" Murdock groaned, squinting up at his teammates, "What did I crash this time?"

"No crash, Captain," Hannibal said, "You were shot."

Murdock touched the bandage on his temple gently, "Shot? I don't…" Murdock paused as images flew through his mind.

"Angie!" he cried, standing quickly and stumbling as dizziness hit. He fell back onto the bed, nausea clawing at his stomach. He fought past it and grabbed Hannibal's arm.

"We have to go after her! How long have I been out? We need to hurry!"

Hannibal looked down at him, the frown deeply etched on his face.

"Captain," he said softly in a voice Murdock recognized as bad news, "You've been out for over twelve hours."

"Twelve _hours_?" Murdock exclaimed, his chest tight, "Angie's been in their hands for… We've got to rescue her, now!"

Hannibal grabbed his arm as he started towards the door, "Murdock, stop! We'll go after her but not without a plan and the right equipment!"

"But, Colonel, they'll…" Murdock cut himself off, nausea making an abrupt reappearance as he thought of what they were doing to her.

"They've already done whatever they're going to do," Face said sadly, "It won't help her if we get killed."

"Yeah, Fool," B.A. said gently, "We can't mess this up."

Murdock covered his face with his hands.

-000-

Angie almost tripped for the tenth time. The heavy chains around her ankles and wrists dug into her skin and made it difficult to move.

She resisted the urge to tug her skirt down, the frilly black material so short that it was pointless. She knew he was watching her, enjoying the view as she polished the antique oak desk. Her top consisted of low cut spandex, barely covering her breasts. The poufy black lace sleeves added to the cheap French maid effect, as did the cuts and bruises.

He sighed in satisfaction, his belt still undone.

"Angel," he groaned, "we sure missed you around here."

Angie ignored him. She had to finish polishing the desk and pick up the things he had scattered when he'd cleared it off to make room for his fun.

He pulled her back against him, his hand slipping down her top to clutch her breast. Leaning down, he whispered in her ear.

"Too bad I don't have time for an encore, but I'll be back for you real soon."

Angie stared expressionlessly at the wall until he let her go. He waited impatiently as she picked up the last of the papers and then escorted her back up to her room, locking her to the bed.

She looked out the window. It was getting dark. They hadn't come. Tears started to roll down her face.

"Of course they wouldn't come," she whispered to herself, "They already lost one man because of me."

Her breathing hitched. Puppy kites. Silly songs. Indian war paint. Swordfights. Fireflies. Her heart clenched. Damn him. Damn them all! Just more stupid men, sticking their noses where they didn't belong. Why couldn't they just cut her loose? Why did they have to try and help?

"Why didn't you just let me starve?" Angie whispered angrily. Why did she have to fall for him?

She started singing.

-000-

Murdock noticed it. As they were we casing the house, the dusk hiding their movements, he saw a strange red glow emanating from the garbage can. He grabbed the plastic bag it was wrapped in and stuffed it in his jacket to look at in the light.

When he rendezvoused with the team, all of them piled into the van parked around the corner, he took out the bag.

"What's that?" Face asked, wrinkling his nose.

"I don't know," Murdock shrugged, "But it lit up a trash can." He untied the bag and dumped the contents on the floor.

The strange red light pulsed dimly, fading even as they watched. It was Murdock's strangled gasp that alerted the rest of the team to the import of the tangled mess of cloth.

"Oh, God," Murdock choked, "Angie's pajamas." He started to piece together the shredded garment, revealing the violence done to it. Some of it stuck together, dried blood acting as an adhesive.

"They need her alive," Hannibal reminded them, his voice tight. It couldn't be as bad as it seemed.

Murdock picked at the edge of a tattered sleeve, "If they did this much damage to her clothes…" he croaked.

Face placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, "She'll be okay; we'll get her out of there."

"My fault," Murdock whispered, wrapping his arms around himself, "I should have stayed closer to her. I should have stopped them."

"You got shot trying to stop them, Fool! Nobody can do better than that!"

"Enough!" Hannibal ordered, "We've got work to do! Face, you're going in there. Find Angie and get her out. B.A. and I will provide the distraction. Murdock, you're stationed on the hill. Make sure no one leaves that house. Got it?"

The men nodded sharply.

"Move out!"

-000-

Face breathed a sigh of relief as he made it to the top of the stairs. According to what Angie had told them, her room should be down the hall. He'd managed to slip into the house unnoticed, a high stakes poker game distracting the men. Now he crept down the corridor, the decorative sconces throwing pools of light for him to avoid.

He reached the third door on the left and turned the handle slowly. Locked. Grimacing, Face knelt down and pulled out his picks, working by feel. After a few seconds of soundless struggle, the lock gave way with a soft click.

Face grinned and stood. He opened the door silently and slipped into the room, shutting the door behind him. The lone window barely illuminated the room enough for him to see the figure in the bed.

"Angie?" he whispered, moving towards her.

She turned her head towards him, her eyes glinting in the half-light.

"Face?" she gasped, "You came?"

"Love the outfit," he said in distaste, "Of course we came!" Face said, frowning as he looked at the heavy chains around her wrists and ankles.

"But, I thought…" Angie said, her voice trembling, "Murdock…"

Face froze as he heard movement outside her door. He started to pick the lock on her ankle restraints, eyeing the window speculatively.

"We've got to get out of here," he whispered, "Is there another way downstairs?"

Angie shook her head, flinching as the chains fell from her ankles with a muted rattle.

They both cried out as the lights flipped on.

"So," Bob said, a 9mm pointed at Face, "you going somewhere, Pretty Boy?"

Face grinned, his expression falling as two men stepped into the room behind the man holding the gun.

"Now, I know this looks bad…" Face said, backing towards the window.

Before he could try to escape, Bob gestured to the two men. They rushed forward, quickly subduing Face. They gripped his arms tightly as they dragged him to their boss.

"It's a shame, Pretty Boy, that you wasted all this effort," Bob said, grabbing Face's chin and turning his head side to side; looking him over. "You're not my type, but you're attractive enough. I'm sure the boys will enjoy having some fun with you before they kill you."

"No!" Angie cried, "Please, don't hurt him! I won't fight you; I'll stay here! I'll tell him to leave and never come back! He'll go! Please!"

Bob laughed cruelly, "Don't want to lose another boyfriend, Angel? Too bad," he gestured to the men, "Take him to the room next door and have some fun, but make it quick. There's two more that'll be showing up any second. Make sure he's dead when you're through."

The two men nodded, grinning.

"Come on, guys, can't we talk about this?" Face cajoled as they pulled him out of the room. His wide eyes met Angie's horrified gaze and he flashed a weak comforting smile.

Bob shut the door behind them and turned back to Angie. She was following the sound of Face's pleading as they took him into the next room, tears running down her cheeks. She flinched when the sound of his voice was cut off abruptly in a grunt of pain. The sound of fists hitting flesh followed for the next few seconds, pained exhalations accompanying them. Angie was tense as a bow string, staring at the wall dividing their rooms.

"You know what they'll do to him," Bob whispered, coming towards her.

Angie flinched at the sound of furniture scraping heavily across the floor.

Face screamed.

"No!" Angie cried loudly, pulling at her chains, "Leave him alone! Don't touch him!"

Bob slapped her, blooding her lip.

"Shut up!" he growled, "Worry about yourself, Angel."

Clearly angry, Bob grabbed her legs, shoving them up until she was bent in half. He unbuckled his belt, the zipper ripping down as he got into position.

Grunts of pain and muted cries came from the other room, but Angie forgot to listen as excruciating agony tore through her. She cried out hoarsely, the pain choking her. She felt like she was being ripped in two.

The torture seemed endless, existence shredded down to this fathomless anguish. Angie barely noticed when he pulled away. Then she snapped back into herself at the sound of the gunshot.

She looked at the wall, wondering why that sound filled her with hopelessness. With a gasp of recognition, she wailed; a long, drawn out whine of despair.

"Two down, two to go," Bob snarled as automatic weapons fire sounded from downstairs. He stormed from her room, the door slamming shut behind him.

**Harder To Breathe**  
**Maroon 5**

How dare you say that my behavior is unacceptable  
So condescending unnecessarily critical  
I have the tendency of getting very physical  
So watch your step cause if I do you'll need a miracle

You drain me dry and make me wonder why I'm even here  
This Double Vision I was seeing is finally clear  
You want to stay but you know very well I want you gone  
Not fit to fricken' tread the ground that I'm walking on

When it gets cold outside and you got nobody to love  
You'll understand what I mean when I say  
There's no way we're gonna give up  
And like a little girl cries in the face of a monster that lives in her dreams  
Is there anyone out there cause it's getting harder and harder to breathe  
Is there anyone out there cause it's getting harder and harder to breathe

What you are doing is screwing things up inside my head  
You should know better you never listened to a word I said  
Clutching your pillow and writhing in a naked sweat  
Hoping somebody someday will do you like I did

When it gets cold outside and you got nobody to love  
You'll understand what I mean when I say  
There's no way we're gonna give up  
And like a little girl cries in the face of a monster that lives in her dreams  
Is there anyone out there cause it's getting harder and harder to breathe  
Is there anyone out there cause it's getting harder and harder to breathe

Does it kill  
Does it burn  
Is it painful to learn  
That it's me that has all the control

Does it thrill  
Does it sting  
When you feel what I bring  
And you wish that you had me to hold

When it gets cold outside and you got nobody to love  
You'll understand what I mean when I say  
There's no way we're gonna give up  
And like a little girl cries in the face of a monster that lives in her dreams  
Is there anyone out there cause it's getting harder and harder to breathe  
Is there anyone out there cause it's getting harder and harder to breathe  
is there anyone out there cuz its gettin harder and harder to breathe


	9. Everything I Own

Chapter 9

**Everything I Own**

Murdock unscrewed the bars as quickly as he could, leaning precariously from the limb of an elm. When Face hadn't escaped with Angie as planned, Murdock abandoned his post and went to work on Plan B. The iron bars fell into the bushes, the sound obscured by gunfire.

From his perch he had ascertained that Angie's room was empty except for her. He couldn't see her, but he heard her singing softly 'You Are My Sunshine'. The way she sang, it sounded like an elegy.

Using the screwdriver, Murdock pried the window open and pulled himself inside. When he managed to get himself upright, he gasped. If he hadn't heard her singing, he would have thought he was too late.

Her eyes stared blankly at the far wall, her left eye swollen nearly closed; dark purple. Her lip was bleeding as she whispered her song, weaving a trail of red down her chin. Her wrists were bleeding also, rings of ruby lubricating the chains that lashed her to the bed frame.

There were cuts all along her arms, and her neck was spotted with blue fingerprint bruises. Murdock swallowed, flashing back to his near-lynching. As terrifying as that had been, it had been over in seconds when Hannibal had shot the rope and set him free. Who knows how long she had struggled for breath?

His eyes continued the examination. The tiny black top she wore was stretched and twisted, barely covering her breasts. Her torso was a spider web of thin scarlet cuts, and the tiny black skirt allowed him to see the streaks of crimson painting her thighs.

"Angie," he moaned sorrowfully, moving towards her, "I'm so sorry."

She turned slowly to him, "I'm dead?" she asked curiously, "I thought I'd stop hurting."

Murdock winced, "You're not dead," he said definitively.

"I'm not? Are you haunting me then?"

"I'm not dead either," Murdock said gently, taking her hand. The feeling of his warm flesh on hers made her gasp.

"Murdock?" Angie whispered, hope blossoming on her face, "But they shot you!"

Murdock smiled lopsidedly, "Yeah, but I've got a thick skull. I'm fine."

She squeezed his fingers weakly, "I love you," she said.

Murdock couldn't breathe.

The sound of gunfire got closer and snapped him into motion.

"I'm getting you out of here," he said, prying at the cuffs with his screwdriver. They popped open and he helped her stand, wrapping her in his coat.

"Murdock," she said, putting her hand on his arm to stop him, "There's something I have to tell you. Face…" she swallowed tears, her eyes glistening, "They killed him."

"What?" Murdock asked, feeling gut-punched, "No, he got away. He had to."

"I heard the shot," Angie whispered, nodding towards the far wall.

Murdock's horrified eyes followed hers and he swallowed, "I'll check," he said, "But he won't be there. He escaped. He always does."

Angie nodded sympathetically. He opened the door, pulling out his pistol and checking to make sure it was clear.

"Come on," he said, moving to the next room. He went inside. "It's empty," he said with a sigh of relief.

Angie nodded uncertainly. It didn't prove anything.

Strong arms wrapped around her, the hand covering her mouth muffling her startled scream.

"Shh, Angel," Bob whispered, pulling her backwards. Angie squirmed in his grip, trying to warn Murdock.

"There was some blood, but…" Murdock said, coming out of the room. He froze and aimed his gun as he saw her predicament.

"Let her go," he ordered.

Bob barked a laugh, "I think not."

Angie felt the tip of his knife dig into her side under the jacket and her eyes widened in fear.

"Drop your gun or my pretty daughter here gets a new scar," Bob threatened, his hand slipping from her mouth to grip her shoulder tightly.

"Don't do it!" Angie shouted, wincing as Bob let the knife bite into her skin.

"Don't hurt her!" Murdock cried, lowering his weapon.

Bob looked at him, his head cocked, "Wait a minute, you're supposed to be dead."

Murdock smiled tightly, "I'm hard headed."

Bob glanced down at Angie, "I don't know what you see in him," he mocked, "The Pretty Boy was much better looking." Bob looked up at Murdock, his eyes dancing malignantly, "Did she tell you what happened to him?"

Murdock stiffened, "She said he was shot."

Bob laughed loudly, and his hand stroked her cheek, "Aw, trying to protect your little boyfriend?" he taunted.

"Don't touch her," Murdock growled, edging closer.

"Too late!" Bob snapped, loosing his cool for a moment. He quickly reined in his temper and grinned at Murdock, "Come now, Angel, you didn't tell him how my boys had some fun with him first? You left out the best part!"

"What?" Murdock breathed, his hand clenched around his lowered weapon. He looked at Angie, begging her to tell him that her father was lying. She couldn't meet his eyes, her expression heartbroken.

"You didn't tell him about the screams? The groaning? How he begged them to stop?" Bob goaded.

"Stop it," Angie whispered, choking back sobs.

"Or how you bargained for his life?" Bob continued, "Promising you'd stay here forever if he could go free?" He looked at Murdock, his brow raised, "Maybe you're not her favorite, after all."

Murdock was pale and unsteady, waving on his feet.

While Bob was talking he was also moving them backwards, towards the stairs.

Angie felt the hand on her shoulder move, though the knife against her ribcage prevented her from pulling away. The soft scrape of wood behind them had her closing her eyes for a moment, visualizing the hallway. There was a small chest at the top of the stairs.

As her father's hand came back into view, Angie's heart leapt into her throat. A gun.

"Drop it, now!" Bob commanded, his gun aimed solidly at Murdock as his left arm pressed the knife tenaciously into Angie's ribs.

Murdock dropped his gun with an ominous thud.

"Say goodbye to your boyfriend, Angel," Bob sneered.

"Angie, I…" Murdock said, swallowing convulsively, his empty hands clenching at his sides.

"I'm sorry," Angie whispered, "Remember that I love you," she added, her voice firm.

Murdock looked puzzled, a surge of uneasy intuition flooding him, "What are you…?"

Angie acted, bending her knees and throwing her entire weight backwards and to the left.

With a roar of anger, Bob fell backwards down the stairs, taking Angie with him.

Murdock raced forwards, watching in horror as their entwined bodies bounced down the long, curving set of marble stairs.

He clambered after them, counting the number of times he saw the flash of his jacket impact the stairs. He was only halfway down the staircase when they reached the floor and rolled to a stop, Bob's motionless body covering Angie completely.

Murdock skirted past slippery puddles of blood coagulating on the last few stairs and fell to his knees beside them.

"Angie, Angie," he called softly, well aware that the sounds of gunfire nearby meant that Hannibal's battle was still ongoing. Murdock pushed Bob's body off of her, ignoring the copious amount of red that clung slickly to his palms. The deep dent at the base of Bob's skull meant that he was no longer a danger to anyone, but it did not bode well for Angie's chances of escaping her stunt unharmed.

She was lying on her back, covered in blood. It was difficult to tell how much was from before her trip down the stairs and how much of it was Bob's. Before Murdock could examine her, her eyes flew open and she groaned.

"Get the number of that bus?" she joked weakly, grimacing up at Murdock's concerned gaze.

He couldn't hold back a sigh of mingled relief and exasperation, "What were you thinking? You could have killed yourself!"

"Nice!" Angie said, sitting up slowly and painfully, her left arm pressed tightly against her jacket, "Great way to thank someone who just saved your life."

Murdock huffed, helping her stand, "Thank you," he muttered, brushing his lips across hers in a quick kiss, "Just don't ever do it again!"

She looked down at Bob's body, "He's dead?" she asked softly. Murdock nodded, grabbing her right arm as she swayed, "Thank God!" she whispered with vehemence.

"We've got to go," Murdock said, "Can you walk?"

"With help," Angie responded, testing the strength of her abused muscles. She gripped his waist firmly with her right arm, the left still planted against her side, and they started towards freedom.

They snuck out the kitchen door, slipping behind the last two holdouts in Hannibal's war.

Limping quickly across the expansive yard, the silence of a suddenly gunfire free night fell. It was so shockingly quiet that they both paused for a moment. The howl of approaching sirens jerked them back to movement.

"Time to get outta Dodge," Hannibal said with a toothy grin as he and B.A. ran up beside them, their guns still smoking.

B.A. took in Angie's appearance and Murdock's firm grip, "Where's Faceman?" he asked, scanning the area for their last teammate.

Murdock's face fell and Angie shook her head.

"They got him," Angie said desolately.

Hannibal and B.A. froze and turned to look at her.

"What do you mean?" Hannibal asked tightly, his weapon shifting into his hands.

Angie swallowed, biting her lip, "They shot him," she said softly.

Hannibal shifted his blue-lasered gaze to Murdock, "Did you see his body?"

"No," Murdock said, shaking his head, "The room was empty."

Hannibal relaxed a bit, "Then he could have escaped. Let's get back to the van. If he got away, that's where he'd go."

They started moving again, making their way through empty backyards. Murdock had to take on more and more of Angie's weight as they fled. His stomach was in knots and he wanted to stop and check her wounds, but he knew they didn't have time. The faster they got to safety, the faster she could get medical attention.

The sirens were deafeningly close as they stumbled onto the van's concealed location. The side door slid open and Face grinned out at them, looking a bit disheveled but none the worse for wear.

"What took you?" he asked impishly.

They piled into the van. Murdock lifted Angie inside and tried to set her in the chair, but she cringed away.

"Need to lie down," she croaked, "Hurts to sit."

Murdock's eyes widened but he obediently laid her on the floor, sitting down with her head in his lap.

As the van took off, gaining some distance from the sirens, Angie studied Face intently.

"They didn't hurt you?" she asked finally.

Face frowned deeply, "Just a couple of sucker punches," he said with a shrug, "but they were too stupid to hold me for long!"

Angie nodded, her eyes reflecting her doubt, "What about what I heard?"

Face grimaced, "Sorry about that," he said, "but I had to make it sound good. I knew your father would be suspicious if it got quiet too fast."

Angie nodded, accepting his answer, "I'm glad," she whispered.

Face leaned forward, "I heard you scream, too," he said gently, "I'm sorry I couldn't figure out a way to get you out of there faster."

Angie shrugged, "Not your fault," she said, grimacing as she shifted position.

"Let me see your arm," Murdock said, leaning over her.

Angie shied away, "Don't," she murmured.

"What's wrong?" Face asked in concern, unable to see much in the van's darkness.

"I think she broke her arm when she took a header down the stairs," Murdock explained, taking her left arm gently.

"Those stairs!" Face exclaimed, "She could have broken her neck!"

"Did it to save him," Angie explained, watching dully as Murdock felt her forearm for a break.

"And almost killed yourself!" Murdock admonished.

Angie chuckled softly, wincing at the pain it caused, "Too late," she said under her breath.

"Your arm's fine," Murdock said, his voice heated, "Why were you holding it like that? What are you hiding?"

"Never said my arm hurt," Angie murmured rebelliously.

"Hannibal, turn on the light!" Murdock ordered.

Hannibal looked back in surprise, obediently turning on the overhead light.

All three men sucked in a breath.

"Oh my God," Face exclaimed, paling.

"B.A.! Hospital, ASAP!" Hannibal commanded, moving into the rear compartment. B.A. glanced behind him and then the van's motor roared as they accelerated.

"No hospital," Angie said weakly, "Don't want you getting caught." B.A. shook his head and kept driving.

Murdock didn't know where to start. The meager covering of his jacket had concealed her wound, but it could not hide the blood. The van's dark carpet was stained a deep burgundy. Blood was pouring down her side. More pooled beneath her legs. Murdock's heart raced as he calculated how much of her life had soaked into the carpet. Not to mention the trail of it they had probably left in their escape. The fact that she was still coherent was a miracle.

Murdock gently pulled his jacket, tacky with blood, off her shoulders. A two inch wide, and who knew how deep, slice in her side greeted him.

"The knife," he breathed, seeing in his mind the extent of her actions, "You jumped into the blade."

"Doesn't matter," Angie whispered, moving her arm to cover the wound. Murdock stopped her, taking the pressure wrap from Face and binding her side tightly.

"What are you talking about?" he asked angrily, "Why didn't you tell me you were hurt this bad? Why did you do it?"

Her eyes flashed up at him, "No hospital!" she insisted, "There's no point!"

Murdock growled at her, "Don't be ridiculous! We're not going to just let you die!"

Angie slammed her fist into the wet floor, sending up a small fountain of crimson, "I'm already dead! I have been since Face…" she stopped, swallowing her words.

"What? What did I do?" Face asked, his fingers clenching around the arms of his chair.

"Not your fault!" Angie emphasized. Her voice lowered, "He got mad when I tried to protect you. Said he'd make me feel what you felt before they killed you."

Murdock turned away, swallowing rapidly to control the nausea.

"No!" Face whispered, "He… I… I didn't know. I'm so sorry. I didn't know." His voice broke and he turned away, head bowed. He had escaped with a few bruises while she had taken the punishment meant for him. All because he hadn't planned well enough.

"Doesn't matter what your father did," Murdock insisted, finally gathering the strength to be able to look at her again without bursting into tears, "We can help you. We love you."

Angie put her cold, pale hand to his cheek, "Thank you, but you still don't understand. Inside… something tore. I've been dying for hours."

"No," Murdock whispered, tears unconsciously rolling down his face, "It can't be true. We rescued you. Your father's dead. You're finally free."

Angie smiled, "Yes. I've gotten everything I ever wanted. Friends, freedom, and love. I'm at peace."

"You can't die!" Murdock insisted, "What about the house? With the pool and the garage and the creek and the plane?"

Angie laughed, "You remembered," she said with a wet chuckle. It turned into an uncontrollable cough, and she clung to Murdock's hand as the breath refused to come.

"Colonel!" Murdock cried in panic.

Hannibal jumped over the seat and kneeled next to Angie, gently lifting her upright.

"Come on, Honey, breathe!" he urged.

She smiled up at him between coughs, "Thank you… Hann… ibal… for giving… me… friends."

"No goodbyes, kid," Hannibal said softly, "You'll be alright."

"Can't… order… me…. Colonel," she said with a red-rimmed smile. She looked over at Murdock, "Sorry… 'bout… plane."

Murdock squeezed her hand tightly, "Screw the plane. Just don't die. For me. I… I love you."

Her face lit up and she grinned, "Knew… it!" she crowed feebly, "Cotton… candy," she whispered.

Her eyes rolled back and she went limp in Hannibal's arms.

**Everything I Own**  
**Bread**

You sheltered me from harm.  
Kept me warm, kept me warm  
You gave my life to me  
Set me free, Set me free  
The finest years I ever knew  
were all the years I had with you

I would give anything I own,  
Give up my life, my heart, my home.  
I would give everything I own,  
just to have you back again.

You taught me how to love,  
What it's of, what it's of.  
You never said too much,  
but still you showed the way,  
and I knew from watching you.  
Nobody else could ever know  
the part of me that can't let go.

I would give anything I own,  
Give up my life, my heart, my home.  
I would give everything I own  
Just to have you back again.

Is there someone you know,  
you're loving them so,  
but taking them all for granted?  
You may lose them one day,  
someone takes them away,  
and they don't hear the words you long to say

I would give anything I own,  
Give up my life, my heart, my home.  
I would give everything I own  
Just to have you back again.  
Just to touch you once again


	10. Life After You

Chapter 10

**Life After You **

"We need help!" Murdock cried, flinging open the hospital doors as Hannibal carried Angie's body in.

Nurses swarmed and a gurney appeared. Murdock and Hannibal were pushed aside as the nurses wheeled her quickly to the back.

They pressed forward, trying to see what was going on.

"You'll have to wait out here!" a large male nurse ordered, stopping them.

Murdock started to argue, but Hannibal touched his arm, "Let them work," he said softly, "The last thing we need now is security showing up."

Murdock nodded and pushed his stringy hair out of his face, blood streaking across his brow.

Hannibal looked down at himself, blood coating his shirt and jacket. He peeled off his red-stained gloves and tossed them into the trash bin.

A nurse approached them as they stood staring at the surgery doors.

"I need some information from you," she said, holding a clipboard at the ready, "Her name, her insurance information, any allergies, and your relation to her?"

Murdock blinked at her mutely. Hannibal smiled tightly, gears spinning, "Her name's Angelique Williams. I don't know if she has insurance, but we'll cover the costs. I don't know if she has any allergies. I'm her uncle, John Smith, and this is her fiancé, Mr. Murdock."

Murdock gaped over at him, but the nurse didn't notice the quick interplay as she scribbled down the information.

"I see," she said, "Do you know the nature of her injuries? We need to know what to treat her for."

Hannibal frowned deeply and glanced around, assuring himself that no one else was in earshot before he replied.

"She was stabbed in the side by a small knife, and she was raped, multiple times. She also fell down a flight of stairs," Hannibal said softly.

The nurse frowned, making a note before she looked up, her eyes flickering between the two men.

"Do you know who injured Miss Williams?" she asked, watching their reactions.

Murdock laughed bitterly, "Her father," he spat.

"I see," the nurse said softly, "In cases like this we have to call in the proper authorities. Would you and Mr. Smith be willing to give a statement?"

The two men exchanged a look before Hannibal smiled at her politely, "Of course," he said.

The nurse nodded and left. Murdock turned to Hannibal, "I'm staying," he said firmly.

"They'll do the best they can, whether we're here or not," Hannibal said.

"I'm not leaving her," Murdock insisted, "I'm going to be here when she wakes up."

"Captain," Hannibal said, his hand resting on the other man's shoulder, "She might not wake up."

Murdock jerked away and started to pace, "No! She'll be fine. You'll see."

"She'll be far from fine, even if she does make it," Hannibal said, his voice serious but quiet.

"We'll help her. I'll help her. She'll be okay."

"She needs stability. She'll need help, more than we can offer. We're on the run, remember?" Hannibal said.

"You're on the run," Murdock said, his shoulders stiffening, "They don't want me. Go on, get out of here. I'm staying!"

Hannibal frowned, his jaw tight, "They'll throw you back in the V.A. hospital when they find you," he reminded.

Murdock shrugged, "Then they won't find me."

Hannibal nodded shortly, "Fine. You know how to reach us if you need us. We'll be around."

Murdock didn't respond, returning to his pacing. With a sigh, Hannibal slipped out the door and disappeared into the night.

-000-

"So you just ran across her a few days ago?" the police officer asked for the third time.

"Yes!" Murdock exclaimed, frustrated, "What's so hard to understand? I ran across a woman starving in the streets, gave her food, clothes, and a place to stay. She told me she had escaped from her father and what he had done to her since she was 15. We fell for each other and then her father's men find her and take her away, nearly killing me in the process. I go to rescue her and find the house under siege. I locate her half-dead and bring her to the hospital. What part of that doesn't make sense?"

The two police officers looked at each other.

"Mr. Murdock, thank you for your statement. If we have any further questions, we'll let you know."

"Fine," Murdock said, marching over to interrogate the nurse behind the desk, "Any word?" he asked.

"Not yet," the nurse said, "The doctor will be out as soon as they're done with the surgery."

Murdock jerked a nod, "Thanks," he added, remembering he needed to be on her good side.

Hours passed in silence, broken only by the jumping of his leg and the dozen cups of watery coffee he consumed. Finally, a man wearing a white coat stepped out of the back doors, wearily rubbing his eyes.

"Mr. Murdock?" the nurse called. Murdock jumped to his feet and stood in front of the doctor before he could even process the fact that his name had been called.

"How is she? Is she alright?" he asked quickly, his voice tight.

The doctor nodded, "She will be," he said kindly, "She lost a great deal of blood, but thankfully we were able to get the bleeding under control. There shouldn't be any brain damage, but we won't know for sure until she comes around."

"Brain damage?" Murdock asked weakly, "Did she hit her head?"

"No," the doctor said, "The amount of blood loss she suffered was drastic. The brain could have been deprived of oxygen, but I'm fairly certain we got to her in time. There will probably be some short term memory loss but nothing dire."

"Oh… thank you," Murdock said, "When can I see her?"

"She'll have to stay in the recovery room for a few hours, but as soon as she's moved I'll have the nurse show you to her room." The doctor smiled and started to leave, but then he turned back, "Mr. Murdock, the man that did that to her- he's been stopped, right?"

Murdock smiled grimly, "He's dead."

"Good," the doctor said and walked away.

Murdock went to the pay phone in the corner. Dialing quickly, he listened for the click of a connecting line.

"Tony's Pizza Palace," Face said.

"She made it," Murdock said shortly, hanging up before Face could respond.

-000-

He was still waiting.

Angie looked terrible. Tubes snaked from her arms and she was as pale as the standard white hospital sheets she laid on. But she was alive.

"Angie," Murdock sighed, taking her limp hand, "Come on, Sweetheart; you're starting to worry me. You've got to wake up now," Murdock forced a happy tone, "You don't want to worry your fiancé, now do you? Did you know we were engaged? Yeah, it was a surprise to me too, but apparently 'guy who confessed his love to you and who you nearly killed yourself for' doesn't get you visitation rights. Shocking!"

"She still out then?" Hannibal asked, startling him so bad that he nearly fell out of his chair.

"What are you doing here?" Murdock growled.

Hannibal ignored his tone and pulled up the extra chair, "After your concise call, Captain, I thought I'd better see how she was for myself."

"You've seen. I'm not leaving her."

"Cut the attitude, Captain!" Hannibal said, his voice gentling as he continued, "Nobody's asking you to leave. We'd all be here for her if we could. Especially Face."

Murdock sagged in his chair, "I know," he said softly.

Hannibal stood and clasped his shoulder, "Keep us updated- preferably with more than three words. And when she wakes up, tell her we're thinking about her."

Murdock nodded. Hannibal left, donning his wig and false mustache once more.

-000-

Murdock had fallen asleep. It was only to be expected. After all, the last respite he'd had was being shot and knocked unconscious. His head rested on their clasped hands, nearly sliding out of his chair, his long legs awkwardly sprawled.

When her fingers twitched against his cheek he thought he'd imagined it, still dreaming. When she moaned he shot up, wide awake.

"Angie!" Murdock whispered joyfully, standing, "Come on, Baby, open those beautiful brown eyes for me."

She blinked up at him, her brow furrowed. Looking around, she tried to sit up and fell back with a hiss of pain.

"Where?" she croaked and coughed, clearing her throat, "Where am I?"

"Memorial Hospital," Murdock answered, bringing her a small glass of water, "Drink slowly," he cautioned, grinning happily.

She took the cup from him and sipped at it, her eyes flitting around the room.

"I'm so glad you finally woke up!" Murdock said, perching on his chair like a little boy, "We were so worried about you, but the guys couldn't stay. They told me to tell you they were thinking about you, though."

"I'll bet," Angie muttered spitefully.

Murdock frowned, clambering down off his chair, "How are you feeling? Do you need me to call a nurse?"

"I'm fine," she spat, turning away from him to stare at the wall.

Murdock gaped at her, "Did I do something wrong?" he asked softly, puzzled at her behavior.

Angie barked a laugh, "I'm in the hospital. So, I'd say yeah."

Murdock sighed, running a hand through his hair, "I know you said no hospital, but that's crazy! We weren't going to just let you die!"

"Of course not," Angie growled, "I'm too valuable. That's why I need a guard, right?"

"What are you talking about?" Murdock exploded, the anxiety he'd been holding in finally escaping.

"You can tell dear old Dad I'm in no shape to escape, so your job's pointless," Angie said tiredly, still looking at the wall.

"W-What?" Murdock stuttered, "Angie, look at me!" he said, grabbing her hand.

She flinched and jerked away from him, her eyes wide, frightened, and unrecognizing.

"Angie, it's me! Don't… Don't you know who I am?"

"One of Dad's friends, I'm sure. Sorry, you all kind of blend together, if you know what I mean," Angie said woodenly.

Murdock backed away from her, his head shaking mutely, "You have to remember me," he whispered, his voice breaking, "I love you."

Angie sighed and closed her eyes, "You all do; that's why I'm in the hospital."

Murdock's arms wrapped around himself; holding him together as he backed from her room.

He blindly stumbled to the phone and dialed.

"Hannibal, she doesn't remember me," he whispered, tears running silently down his cheeks.

Hannibal was silent for a long moment, "We'll be right there, Son," he said gently.

Murdock looked up when loud voices interrupted the hospital's silence, "Don't bother," he said lifelessly as the white coats stormed down the hall towards him, "They've found me." He hung up the phone as the two orderlies grabbed his arms and escorted him from the hospital.

**Life After You**  
**Daughtry**

Ten miles from town and I just broke down  
Spittin' out smoke on the side of the road  
I'm out here alone just tryin' to get home  
To tell you I was wrong but you already know  
Believe me I won't stop at nothin'  
To see you so I've started runnin'

All that I'm after is a life full of laughter  
As long as I'm laughing with you  
I'm thinkin' that all that still matters is love ever after  
After the life we've been through  
'Cause I know there's no life after you

Last time we talked, the night that I walked  
Burns like an iron in the back of my mind  
I must've been high to say you and I  
Weren't meant to be and just wasting my time  
Oh, why did I ever doubt you?  
You know I would die here without you

All that I'm after is a life full of laughter  
As long as I'm laughing with you  
I'm thinkin' that all that still matters is love ever after  
After the life we've been through  
'Cause I know there's no life after you

You and I, right or wrong, there's no other one  
After this time I spent alone  
It's hard to believe that a man with sight could be so blind  
Thinkin' 'bout the better times, must've been outta my mind  
So I'm runnin' back to tell you

All that I'm after is a life full of laughter  
Without you God knows what I'd do

All that I'm after is a life full of laughter  
As long as I'm laughing with you  
I'm thinkin' that all that still matters is love ever after  
After the life we've been through  
'Cause I know there's no life after you


	11. Vanilla Twilight

Chapter 11

**Vanilla Twilight**

"He hasn't been himself in months," Becky said as she showed the new Psychotherapist resident around the V.A. hospital, "He's been listless and depressed, moping around. Not at all what he used to be like. The only time he seems to perk up is right before he pulls one of his famous escapes."

"It sounds like something changed," the other woman suggested.

"Maybe," Becky said with a shrug, "But not here. Nothing ever changes here."

The intern smiled, "Well, he sounds perfect for my thesis. I can't thank Dr. Richter enough for letting me do my research here."

Becky chuckled, "We'll see if you're still thankful in a week. This is it," she said, unlocking the door to one of the patient rooms, "I'll be just down the hall. Call me when you're done."

"Thank you," she said, knocking before entering the patient's room, "Good morning, Mr. Murdock. I'm Miss Barnes. I'm a student at the University and I'd like to talk with you for a bit, if that's all right with you?"

The man lounging on the bed sighed, pulling his cowboy hat over his face.

"Go ahead and shoot, Miss Barnes," he drawled.

"Thank you," she said, pulling up a wooden box and sitting on it. She got out a small notepad, "They tell me you have been acting unusual for a few months. Would you care to share the reason with me?"

"Nope," Murdock popped.

"O… kay," she said slowly, putting her notebook down in her lap, "Listen," she said softly, capturing his attention. She talked to him like he was a person and not a psych patient. "I don't know what you've gone through, but I want to help you." She paused for a long moment and reached into her purse, pulling out a small bag that crinkled suspiciously.

Murdock tipped his hat back a bit, peeking out at her movements. From a black purse with Marvin the Martian scattered across it, she pulled iridescent cellophane filled with something fluffy and pink. His eyes followed her glittery green nails up to her 'I heart Dopey' smock.

"Have a thing for balding guys?" he ribbed, gesturing towards her outfit.

She choked and cleared her throat, her voice clearly embarrassed, "As a matter of fact…"

Murdock chuckled, his foul mood lifting a bit.

"Do you want some cotton candy?" she asked gently. When he didn't immediately reply, she continued hurriedly, "I just thought… Well, it makes me feel better when I'm down. I don't know why, really. And I have way too much of it to ever eat by myself."

"What, there was a sale?" Murdock snarked.

"Someone sends me a big bag every week," she explained.

Murdock's stomach clenched. Of course he'd get someone that would pour salt in his wounds. He ordered Angie a bag of cotton candy every Tuesday. There was no point in sending a note; she didn't remember him anyway. But it was his way of memorializing them and her last words to him.

Murdock stood abruptly, startling Miss Barnes, and stomped over to his closet, throwing the door open.

"Did I say something wrong?" she asked.

Murdock ignored her, tossing his cowboy hat up on the shelf and snatching up his dark blue baseball cap. He crammed it onto his head, pulling the brim down low. Grabbing his jacket, he threw it on, turning towards her as he struggled to get it zipped. He didn't know why he kept wearing the thing. It felt heavy on his shoulders, as if it was still saturated with her blood.

"I'm going outside," he growled, the zipper finally catching. He closed the jacket halfway and strode past where she stood frozen by the bed.

"Stop!" she called as he reached for the door.

"What?" he bristled, his hand on the knob. If she thought she could keep him locked up, she had another think coming.

"Turn around," she ordered brusquely.

With deliberate slowness, Murdock turned towards her, resentment in every movement.

"Happy?" he spat, glaring at the notepad she was clenching in her left hand.

"Look at me," she rasped.

He didn't want to look at her. Every time he looked at a woman he saw Angie; her hair, her eyes, her smile, the look of hopelessness...

"Please," she pleaded, her tone desperate. It surprised him- the pain in her voice echoed the pain in his heart.

He looked up at her. Her face… he knew her face. It was one he had seen every night in his dreams. The hair had changed- it was darker and trimmed to a pixie cut. Her eyes were highlighted with soft eye-shadow, lashes darker and longer. Her lips were coral colored, the slight redness from where she nervously chewed her bottom lip missing. But it was her.

"Angie?" Murdock breathed, leaning back heavily against the door.

"I know you," she said hesitantly, taking a step towards him. Her head cocked as she looked him over and she reached out, her fingertips brushing against his leather coat. "You're the man from my dreams," she whispered.

It was more than he could take. He was about to throw the door open and run as fast and as far as he could when she reached up and yanked his head down, kissing him.

For a moment he let himself enjoy it, but then he grabbed her shoulders and pushed her away, holding her at arms length.

"Don't," he croaked, "I can't lose you again. I won't." He released her and opened the door, struggling to hold back his tears until he was alone.

"Please don't take my sunshine away," Angie sang softly, her fingers trailing across his cheeks, his forehead and his chin; tracing invisible war paint.

Just like before, he was unable to move or breathe. Her dark eyes searched his, flickers of memory drawing themselves across her expression.

Tears came to her eyes and he shut the door.

"What?" he asked softly, wondering what memory had made her look so distraught. Did she remember saving him and regretted it? Or confessing their love on her deathbed only to survive to lament her words?

"I left you," Angie moaned, her thumb caressing his cheek, "I'm so sorry!"

"Left me?" Murdock asked, frowning.

Angie wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace, her face pressing into his chest. Her whispered words were barely audible.

"I swore to myself that if I lived, I'd never let them put you back in here. You're the least crazy person I've ever met. You don't deserve this!"

Murdock squeezed her close, a small grin on his face, "Watch it, Muchacha, or I'll think you like me."

She punched him lightly in the back, "Okay, maybe you are a little crazy! I love you, you idiot!" she mumbled into his shirt, refusing to separate from him even to talk.

He couldn't breathe. She still loved him. All these months later, and she still loved him.

She pulled away and her hold loosened. Looking down, she spoke, "You changed your mind, then," she said, her voice wobbling, "I understand. I'm the one who forgot, after all. I'll just…" she took a deep, trembling breath, "I'll go." She started to back away, but he tightened his grip.

"Never," he stated firmly, waiting until she looked up at him to continue, "I'll never change the way I feel about you. I love you, Angie."

The tears in her eyes overflowed and she returned to pressing her face into his cotton-covered chest, "Thank you," she whispered.

He chuckled, "What, now I get thanked for something as natural as breathing? I think I need to do something to earn some thanks," he said, smiling down at her. He bent and kissed her, lifting her off the floor in his intensity.

"Wow," she breathed when the kiss finally ended, her coral lipstick nowhere to be seen.

Murdock rubbed her nose with his, "That worth a thank you?" he teased.

"Almost," Angie nodded thoughtfully, her body pressed against his.

"Almost?" Murdock asked, playfully indignant.

Angie smiled up at him coyly, "I think I need one more, just to be sure."

-000-

Face straightened his jacket and pushed his blonde hair back out of his eyes.

Hannibal and B.A. were waiting in the van while he liberated Murdock from the V.A. hospital. They didn't really need him on this mission, but he'd been so down since the incident that they came and got him as often as they could.

It was getting hard to come up with new excuses for the nurses, so lately he'd been posing as a local doctor that took Murdock out for random sessions of unspecified length.

"You know how it is," Face smiled at Becky charmingly. If she didn't have a boyfriend the size of a refrigerator…

"Of course, Doctor," Becky said, leaning forward and displaying her ample bosom, "His room is open. The new intern is with him, but I'm sure she's almost done by now."

"New intern?" Face said to himself with a smirk, spinning jauntily on his heel and striding down the hall.

He reached Murdock's door and knocked quickly before he flung the door open, hoping to impress the intern.

Face gaped at the scene that greeted him.

Murdock leaned back on his bed, so deeply engrossed in the lip lock he had on the intern that Face's arrival hadn't made a dent. The woman was straddling Murdock's waist, her legs wrapped around him, her back to Face. Murdock's hand was buried under the intern's shirt.

"I'll just leave," Face said, torn between elation and confusion, "Sorry for the interruption."

Face turned to go, flinching guiltily at the woman's gasp when she heard his voice. Murdock was going to kill him.

"Face!" the woman called, stopping him in his tracks.

Face turned back in surprise, his eyes widening when the woman untangled herself from Murdock and looked up at him.

"Angie!" Face exclaimed with a happy grin.

Angie ran to him, throwing her arms around him. She surprised him with a quick kiss and clung to his hand as she spoke.

"I'm so glad to see you! Where are Hannibal and B.A.?"

"W-Waiting in the van," Face stuttered, feeling overwhelmed, "So I guess you have your memories back?"

"Yep!" Angie smiled, her expression softening as she looked over at Murdock, "And the good ones far outweigh the bad."

The two men smiled in relief.

"So, let's go!" Angie chirped, looking at Murdock expectantly.

Murdock shifted uncomfortably, "Give me a minute," he mumbled with a sharp glare in Face's direction.

Face choked back a laugh as Angie blushed, "Oh…" she muttered and then grinned impishly, "Thank you."

Face could not contain his mirth, breaking out in peals of laughter.

-000-

B.A. grumbled impatiently, "What's taking the Fool so long now?"

Hannibal shrugged and folded his newspaper neatly.

"What in the world?" B.A. asked, leaning forward.

Hannibal followed his gaze and his brow wrinkled. There were three people coming towards the van. Two men and a woman. The woman was in the middle and held both of the men's hands.

From the ubiquitous bomber's jacket and baseball cap, the man on the left had to be Murdock. Face's confident gait and highlighted hair pinned him as the man on the right. But who was the woman, dressed in scrubs, that clung to their hands?

Hannibal and B.A. climbed out of the van. The woman released Face's hand and waved enthusiastically at them. They returned the wave warily. The woman regained her hold on Face's hand and yanked the two men along behind her as she jogged towards them across the broad clearing.

"Angie!" Hannibal exclaimed in surprise, holding his arms open wide as she released the men's hands and ran to him. She hugged him tightly and he returned it just as earnestly. She pulled away to give B.A. a quick peck on the cheek, making him blush.

Face and Murdock finally caught up and Angie went to Murdock's side, wrapping her arm possessively around his waist.

"I'm so glad to see you," Angie said unnecessarily.

"We missed you," Hannibal said, "But I thought you didn't remember us?"

Angie bit her lip and looked down, "I didn't," she said softly, "The police even showed me photos of the A-Team. I didn't remember any of you."

"Then how did you end up here, of all places?" Face asked.

Angie frowned, "It was just a feeling. I had to help them," she said, gesturing towards the hospital.

"You a nurse?" B.A. asked.

Angie grinned up at him, "I'm a psychotherapist! Well, almost," she said proudly.

"Doesn't that require a degree or two?" Hannibal asked.

Murdock frowned, "I thought you had to have a Masters?"

Angie giggled, "Told you I graduated early. I'm really good at school stuff. I took dual credit classes in high school, so I had most of my Bachelors' degree done. Between online classes and night school, I'm almost done with my Masters."

"That's great," Murdock said, hugging her shoulders, "I'm glad you've found a career you can really shine in. You'll be a wonderful therapist. And I'll be able to see you all the time!"

Angie looked up at him seriously, "When I'm a licensed therapist, I can get you out."

Murdock's expression changed so rapidly that it was hard to read. Joy and hope, fear, sadness, and then a mask. His artificial smile cut her like blades.

"Thanks for the offer, Muchacha," he said softly, "but I don't have anywhere else to go."

She punched him in the arm, "Of course you do! I have a surprise for you," she added, looking at the other men with a grin, "Get in the van and let's get going!"

"Where is this surprise?" Hannibal asked as they all obediently moved.

"Head down I-10 West," Angie said to B.A., leaning excitedly over his shoulder.

After a few more twists and turns, they pulled up a long driveway, stopping in front of a sprawling ranch-style house.

"Pull around back," Angie said to B.A., "The first surprise is for you."

"I don't think the owner's going to appreciate us pulling into the garage," Face commented.

Angie grinned over her shoulder at him, "Oh, I know she doesn't mind," she laughed, "It's my house."

"Your…?" Face asked, his mouth dropping as he surveyed the million dollar property.

"Inheritance, eh?" Hannibal said dryly.

Angie laughed again, "Seems like my grandfather knew how to invest."

B.A.'s inarticulate cry of happiness diverted their attention to the huge four-car garage. Angie pulled out a door opener from her purse and the massive doors scrolled open, revealing a complete auto repair shop- including five dirt bikes and four Harleys.

"It's yours, B.A." Angie said.

"It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen!" B.A. exclaimed, jumping out of the van and jogging over to the racks of tools with a huge grin on his face.

"I think he means thank you," Hannibal said wryly.

They all got out of the van. Angie took Face's hand, "Your surprise is next!"

She led him around to the back of the house. A tropical oasis was laid out before them. A huge pool with a waterfall and palm trees sprawled the length of the house, a cabana waiting invitingly at the end.

"For me?" Face asked, his voice cracking.

Angie grinned, "And I have one more thing. My nearest neighbor is a lonely, recently widowed, bikini model…"

Face looked at her, his eyes huge.

"But you have to be nice, she's my neighbor, after all," Angie warned playfully.

Face nodded rapidly in response and Angie laughed.

"Come on, Colonel, you're next," she said, taking his arm. Murdock trailed after them as they started down a well-beaten trail.

They walked for a few minutes. Finally Hannibal asked, "So, all this… You just felt it was right?"

"It seemed strange to me, too," Angie said, reaching for Murdock's hand, "but I just knew what I needed. The hardest part was finding a property that fit."

The trees thinned as they reached a small pond. A bubbling brook flowed past merrily. Tied at the edge of a little dock was a rowboat, and a fishing shack sat in the shade of an old oak.

"There's bait and tackle inside," Angie said, grinning at Hannibal, "and the pond's stocked with large mouth bass. Big ones."

Hannibal smirked, "You've got my number, huh?"

Angie nodded and jerked her thumb towards the shack, "Try the box on the top shelf. For some reason I felt the need to have a humidor…"

Hannibal's eyes lit up, "Paradise!" he cried with a chuckle.

"Thank you," Angie acknowledged with a small bow.

They left the Colonel to his examination.

Continuing down the path at a leisurely pace, Murdock squeezed her hand gently. He had some idea of what waited for him, but it was nothing compared to the simple joy of just being with her again. He stopped and she turned towards him, looking up.

"What?" she asked shyly as he stared down at her.

"I missed you," Murdock said softly, leaning forward to touch his forehead to hers.

Her eyes shut as she leaned into him, "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Stop apologizing," he admonished lightly, "Not your fault. I'm just thankful to have you back."

He kissed her then, wrapping his arms around her like he never wanted to let her go.

She finally pulled away for breath and laughed, "At this rate, you're never going to get to see your surprise."

"I'm willing to wait," Murdock muttered, going in for another session. She humored him for a moment and then pulled from his gentle embrace.

"Come on," she urged, tugging at his hand.

He chuckled and followed, ducking his head as a low branch arched the path. When he raised his head, he gasped.

"You like?" Angie asked with a Cheshire cat grin.

"I… I…" Murdock stuttered, stumbling towards the vision in front of him.

The edge of the trees gave way to a huge clearing, as far as the eye could see. Gently rolling hills and distant mountains served as a backdrop for an airstrip, complete with a Learjet and, miracle of miracles, a Huey. The hanger held a two-person Piper stunt plane.

"I didn't know what kind you flew, so I got an assortment," Angie explained, amused at his wordless gaping.

Murdock reached the chopper and greeted it like a favorite pet, caressing the dull black metal fondly.

"I thought… Maybe you'd like to take me for a ride?" Angie asked hesitantly, "You don't have to," she added, "They're yours, no strings attached!" she backed away and bit her lip, looking down, "I forgot to tell the others," she added quietly, "but I'll stay out of your way, all of you. The house and all the stuff- they're free gifts- no strings." She looked up at him and smiled tightly, "Have fun," she whispered emphatically.

Angie turned back towards the path and started to walk quickly away, tugging absently at the ends of her short hair.

Murdock lunged forward and grabbed her arm, spinning her around.

"Stop it!" he growled, shaking her a little.

Her suddenly terrified eyes looked up at him and she let out an instinctive whimper of fear as she cringed.

Murdock let go immediately, "Sorry, sorry!" he said quickly, his stomach sinking as she stared at him with wide, betrayed eyes.

"I didn't mean to scare you," Murdock said softly, "I just wanted to make you stop saying things like that! I love you," he said gently, "and I'd love to fly with you."

Angie touched his arm lightly, "Really?" she whispered, "You'll show me what its like to fly?"

Murdock grinned crookedly, "Anytime," he said, kissing her quickly on the cheek and holding out his arm, "Come on, my Lady, your chariot awaits!"

-000-

Angie screamed with laughter as they buzzed the house, nearly scraping the tip of the roof. Murdock howled, waving at B.A. as the big guy shook a wrench at them angrily. Face grinned and waved at them from his lounge chair poolside. Murdock took another loop around the property before Hannibal came out of the woods and gestured for him to land.

The chopper settled down on the small landing pad near the house, Murdock and Angie tumbling out in a giddy embrace.

"That was great!" Angie gushed, squeezing his waist, "You have to be the best pilot ever! I didn't know you could even get that close in a helicopter!"

"Aw, shucks, ma'am!" Murdock drawled, "You ain't seen nuthin' yet!"

He laughed at her awed expression.

The rest of the team waited by the van; Face grinning, B.A. cleaning, and Hannibal frowning.

Murdock's smile fell slightly at Hannibal's expression.

"Nice chopper," the Colonel commented.

"Yeah," Murdock said warily, keeping the smile plastered on his face as he hugged Angie closer, "Angie sure can pick 'em!"

"I see…" Hannibal said, crushing out the last of his cigar, "But where's the fine print?"

Angie stiffened.

"Colonel…" Face started.

Hannibal cut him off, "Come on, Face, you can't tell me that there's no angle to all this." He looked at Angie, "I just want to know what it is."

Murdock could feel her trembling, her muscles as tight as piano wire. She pulled away from him, his appendages feeling empty in her absence, and she crossed her arms tightly.

"As I told the Captain," Angie said, her voice cold, "there are no strings attached. The property and everything on it are gifts, freely given. I ask nothing from you and expect nothing from you. Except one thing."

Hannibal smirked, "And what's that?" he asked superiorly.

Angie smiled tightly at him, "Respect," she said softly before turning and going into the house, the door shutting with finality.

Murdock glared at the Colonel, "What's your problem?" he hissed, gesturing towards the door, "Don't you think she's had enough trouble in her life? Why are you acting like she's a criminal?"

"Doesn't this all seem a bit convenient, Captain?" Hannibal questioned, lighting a new cigar, "Her miraculous recovery, sudden wealth, stumbling into your hospital?"

"It is a little strange," Face added, raising his hands as Murdock glowered at him.

"You didn't see her," Murdock said lowly, "When she saw me, I could see the memories return to her. She apologized for forgetting. After sacrificing herself to save me, losing her memories, being left alone to heal and make a new life for herself, _she_ apologized to _me_!"

"Murdock…" Face started.

"No," Murdock said, shaking his head, "I should have been there for her, memories or no memories. I shouldn't have left her. I remembered; that should have been good enough."

"You couldn't have stayed," Face reminded him, "They came and got you."

Murdock chuckled darkly, "That's another thing," he rasped, "She apologized for leaving me there. She's horrified at the fact that I've been stuck in that hospital for ten years. It was the first fight we had- I told her not to blame you." He cocked his head, his unblinking eyes staring them down, "Maybe I was wrong."

Face flinched and B.A. looked down. Hannibal's face was hardened, his fists clenched as his teeth ground into his cigar.

"If you're finished examining this gift horse, Colonel, I suggest you apologize or leave," Murdock said as he went to find Angie.

-000-

"Shh, Sugar," Murdock whispered as he held Angie. He'd found her curled up on the overstuffed white couch, sniffling quietly. "I'm sorry about Hannibal," he said, "He's been protecting us for so long… He sees everything as a trap. He didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

"No, I didn't," Hannibal said softly as he approached them. Angie sat up and wiped at her cheeks, trying to stifle her tears. Murdock's arm was wrapped around her shoulders protectively and he looked at Hannibal warily.

"May I have a word with her in private, Captain?" Hannibal asked.

Murdock looked down at Angie, who nodded. With a warning glare in Hannibal's direction, Murdock stepped out of the room.

"I am sorry I upset you," Hannibal said as he perched on the ottoman in front of her, "But I don't want any of my men hurt."

"I understand," Angie said softly, biting her lip and looking down, "I won't say anything to him when you make him go," she whispered. She smiled slightly, "I'm glad I got to fly with him once."

"You know we can't stay, then?" Hannibal asked, leaning back.

Angie nodded, "I always knew. Even when I first told him about my idea to get this place, I knew it would never keep him." She looked up at Hannibal with desperate hope, "But you'll let him visit, right? Just once in a blue moon?"

"I'm not his slave, Angie," Murdock said, making her gasp as he strode back into the room.

"This was supposed to be a private conversation," Hannibal said mildly.

Murdock snorted, "Good thing I'm a Captain, then!"

Hannibal rolled his eyes and stood, "You know we can't stay, Murdock."

"You know I won't go, Hannibal," Murdock grinned falsely.

Hannibal sighed, looking down as Angie stood and touched his arm.

"Let me talk to him," she said softly.

He saw her sad but determined gaze and nodded, slipping past Murdock's defiant stance and shutting the door quietly behind him.

The moment the door closed Angie ran to Murdock and hugged him like she would never let go.

Relieved but confused, he returned her embrace gently.

"I love you," she whispered.

"I love you, too. And I'm not going anywhere," Murdock said resolutely.

"I never expected love," she said, pulling away slightly so she could look into his big brown eyes, "I never expected to be hugged. I never expected to fly. You've given me more than I'd ever ask for. So I'm not asking you to stay. I'll always be here. You'll always have someone to come home to. But you don't have to give up anything. Another gift, freely given, My Love."

The last part was barely a whisper, and he wasn't sure if she meant it as a term of endearment or an extension of her gift. Either way, he couldn't fathom it.

"Angie…" he choked.

She kissed him before he could say anything more and then backed out of his arms.

"Goodbye," she breathed, her half-smile almost a grimace of pain. She disappeared like a wraith, silently evaporating into the sprawling house's dark halls.

**Vanilla Twilight**  
**Owl City**

The stars lean down to kiss you  
And I lie awake and miss you  
Pour me a heavy dose of atmosphere  
Cause I'll doze off safe and soundly  
But I'll miss your arms around me  
I'll send a postcard to you, dear  
Cause I wish you were here

I'll watch the night turn light blue  
But it's not the same without you  
Because it takes two to whisper quietly  
The silence isn't so bad  
Till I look at my hands and feel sad  
Cause the spaces between my fingers  
Are right where yours fit perfectly

I'll find repose in new ways  
Though I haven't slept in two days  
Cause cold nostalgia chills me to the bone  
But drenched in vanilla twilight  
I'll sit on the front porch all night  
Waist deep in thought because when  
I think of you I don't feel so alone

I don't feel so alone  
I don't feel so alone

As many times as I blink  
I'll think of you tonight  
(Tonight, tonight, tonight...)

I'll think of you tonight

When violet eyes get brighter  
And heavy wings grow lighter  
I'll taste the sky and feel alive again  
And I'll forget the world that I knew  
But I swear I won't forget you  
Oh if my voice could reach back through the past  
I'd whisper in your ear:  
"Oh darling I wish you were here"


	12. Can't Fight This Feeling

Chapter 12

**Can't Fight This Feeling**

Hannibal came out of the house looking both pleased and perplexed.

"Murdock will be out in a minute," he said to B.A. and Face, "Be ready to go."

"Why ain't we staying, Hannibal?" B.A. asked.

"Just a few days," Face added.

"Not a good idea," Hannibal said simply, "Don't want you getting spoiled," he added with a grin.

"It ain't right, Hannibal," B.A. grumbled, "She loves him. And the Fool loves her. You can see it."

Hannibal nodded, scowling, "That's why we have to leave. We can't afford to fall in love."

"It's not something you can order around," Face said, frowning deeply.

Hannibal glared at him, "Don't you think we have enough problems without adding in a relationship that can be used against us? What makes you think that Decker wouldn't use her to get to us? Or a worse enemy; one that wouldn't hesitate to kill a woman?"

"You gonna make me stop lovin' my momma, too?" B.A. asked, his gold-encrusted arms crossed stubbornly.

Face snorted, grinning at the thought of B.A.'s mother beating Hannibal with a rolling pin at the very idea.

Before Hannibal could retort, Murdock stumbled out of the house looking shell-shocked.

"You alright, Crazy Man?" B.A. asked gently as he took the man's arm and sat him down on the porch stairs.

"Face," Murdock croaked, "I… I don't understand."

"What, Murdock?" Face asked in concern, "What's wrong?"

"She told me to go. She said she'd always be here for me when I wanted her."

"Sounds perfect," Face said, puzzled.

"I know," Murdock said as he sighed deeply, "but why does the thought of leaving her hurt so badly?"

"How does it feel?" Hannibal asked quietly.

Murdock bit his knuckles, thinking, "Like part of me has been cut off and sewn back together the wrong way."

Hannibal sighed and flicked the ashes off his cigar, "Damn it, Captain," he said softly, "You're in love."

"I know that," Murdock said, shaking his head.

"No, Murdock, you don't," Hannibal continued, sinking down to sit beside him, "Everything you've felt before has either been lust or a crush. What you're describing now is love. You care more about her than you do yourself." Hannibal waved his hand, "Ya'll don't look at me like that! I know a little something about love."

"So what do we do?" Face asked, getting to the point.

Hannibal shook his head, "I tried to nip this in the bud," he said ruefully, "but it bloomed anyway. Captain," Hannibal said, standing and helping Murdock to his feet, "welcome home."

B.A. clasped a ring-encrusted hand over Murdock's boney shoulder, "'Bought time," he muttered, his mouth twitching up into a smile.

"I… you… We're staying?" Murdock stuttered.

"You're staying. We're just visiting for a few days. Call it a housewarming present," Hannibal grinned.

Murdock rubbed the back of his neck, "I'm still a part of the team, right? I mean, you're gonna need a pilot sometimes…"

"Come on, Buddy!" Face said, "We're not gonna forget you! You'll just have a different address. One I might not to be able to con you out of, matter of fact."

Hannibal chuckled, "I have a feeling that will be a problem."

Murdock grinned, relief relaxing his muscles to mush.

"So," Face urged, "go tell your girl!"

"My girl," Murdock said, savoring the words. He beamed at them and ran into the house.

-000-

Murdock called her name, frowning when there was no response.

"Angie?" he hollered one more time. He was jittery with the urge to find her and tell her how much he loved her and that he was never leaving.

Choosing a door at random, Murdock stuck his head in room after room, each time without success.

Finally he reached the kitchen, the wide-open room facing the pool. The French doors were ajar and a warm breeze ruffled the curtains. Angie had her back to him, the pale yellow dress she had changed into tickling her ankles as she leaned over the sink.

Murdock grinned mischievously and snuck forward, hoping to surprise her. She turned slightly and he froze- his heart stopping.

Angie held out her wrist, the straight razor in her other hand hovering over the soft skin.

"Angie, don't!" Murdock shouted, leaping forward and grabbing the arm holding the razor.

Angie let out a startled yelp of shock, automatically fighting his grip.

B.A. and Face erupted from the French doors and Hannibal slammed through the kitchen door. They all slid to a stop as they surveyed the scene. Their eyes widened as they saw the desperate grip Murdock had on Angie's arm and the razor still clenched in her hand.

Murdock ignored them, his eyes only on Angie. His expression of anguish was clear.

"Why?" he asked, his voice breaking, "You promised you wouldn't leave me!"

Angie's shock faded and she looked up, a frown of concern on her face.

"I won't," she said softly, "Do you think, after all I've survived, I'd try suicide now?"

"Then what is this?" Murdock demanded, shaking her arm.

Angie held out her free wrist for his examination. A row of dark stitches, previously hidden by her bracelet, encircled her wrist.

"The doctor said I could remove them today," she explained softly, "It will bleed a little, and I didn't want to make a mess…"

Murdock slid his hand down to bring her other wrist into his view. It, too, had a row of stitches encircling it.

"From the cuffs," she whispered, looking down.

Hannibal gestured to B.A. and Face. All three quietly slid out the French doors.

Murdock raised her wrist to his lips, kissing the abused skin gently.

"I'm sorry," he said softly, staring down at the scarred skin, "You never should have gone through this alone."

"I'm used to it," she said with a shrug.

Murdock looked up at her eyes, "Not anymore," he promised.

Angie crooked a smile, her doubt evident.

"Let me," Murdock said, taking the razor from her.

Angie shook her head and pulled away, "You better go," she whispered, "Hannibal's waiting. I'll be fine."

Murdock grinned at her, the news he had come to deliver shooting back into the forefront of his mind.

"I'm not going anywhere. The guys are going to stay a few days…"

Angie cut him off with a happy laugh, "I'm so glad Hannibal changed his mind! How long are you staying? A week, maybe?"

"Hannibal said he and B.A. and Face would stay a few days," Murdock continued, his grin expanding, "I'm staying permanently."

"You are?" Angie gasped, gripping his bicep.

"Yep!" Murdock said happily, "I'm staying here. With you."

"You're staying…" Angie breathed, her eyes welling. She kissed him, crushing her lips to his.

They kissed for a few minutes, wrapped up in their joy. The edge of the razor poked into his hand, jerking him back to the moment.

"Need to get those stitches out," he mumbled, breathing heavily. Angie shook her head.

"Just hold me for a minute more?" she asked, her arms wrapped around his waist tightly.

Murdock reached back and carefully laid the razor down on the counter. He wrapped his arms around her and started to sway, singing softly in her ear.

"Night and day, you are the one. Only you, beneath the moon and under the sun. Whether near to me, or far, it's no matter darling where you are, I think of you night and day," his voice strengthened and she followed his slow dance across the kitchen tiles, "Day and night, I need you so. My longing for you follows wherever I go. In the roaring traffic's boom, in the silence of my lonely room, I think of you night and day." He dipped her, causing her to gasp lightly and giggle.

He started a new song, his thoughts spinning as he watched her face light up.

"The very thought of you and I forget to do the little ordinary things that everyone ought to do. I'm living in a kind of daydream, I'm happy as a king, and foolish though it may seem, to me that's everything. The mere idea of you; the longing here for you. You'll never know how slow the moments go till I'm near to you," his voice lowered, his eyes radiating sincerity as he sung the words to her, "I see your face in every flower; your eyes in stars above. It's just the thought of you, the very thought of you… My Love."

The last words were whispered. Angie shuddered and slid her arms up his back, her fingers digging into his spine as she pressed her face to his chest. He stopped and looked down, trying to see her face.

"Angie, Honey, are you alright?" he asked, rubbing her back in small circles. She nodded against his chest but didn't pull back.

The glint of the sun reflecting off the razor caused him to blink and turn away. Murdock looked down at Angie, something gnawing away uneasily at his mind. The cuts on her wrists looked barely healed, layers of previous scarring disturbed by fresh pink lines. And stitches usually came out within a few weeks. It had been months since the night her father had died.

"Angie," Murdock said, slowly putting the pieces together, "how did you say you hurt your wrists?"

"Cuffs," Angie muttered into his shirt.

Murdock took her shoulders and pushed her away so he could look at her face, "What cuffs?" he asked softly.

Angie stared at his shoulder, "I'm fine now," she said, "It's not important."

"Fine _now_?" Murdock exclaimed, his unease growing to full-blown alarm, "What happened? When?"

Angie sighed and looked up at him, "It was a couple weeks ago. I was staying at a hotel, waiting for the house to be completed. Some men came."

"Men?" Murdock asked, his brow creased.

"Bad men," Angie said softly, looking away.

"What did they want from you?" Murdock asked, his voice thick with dread.

"The A-Team," she said, biting her lip.

"What?" Murdock breathed, shaking his head quickly in denial as he took a step back.

"Don't worry!" Angie assured him, "I didn't remember anything, so I couldn't tell them, even if I wanted to!"

Murdock put his hands on his head, interlaced fingers crowning his skull, "They grabbed you, looking for us? And we left you unprotected!"

Angie smiled, "You're not mad at me?"

"Mad?" Murdock looked at her in disbelief, "Why on Earth would I be mad at you?"

Angie's smile faded, "Because I'm a liability."

"God," Murdock exclaimed, grabbing her in a crushing embrace, "You are so much more to me than a liability!" he looked down, making sure she could see his eyes, "I love you!" She blinked back tears, "Wait a minute," Murdock said suddenly, pulling away to look her over, "They cuffed you? Who were they? How did you get away?"

Angie shrugged, "Just some friends of my father. They heard the police were looking for you guys in connection with the attack on the house. They wanted revenge."

"Revenge?" Murdock asked, "They didn't know you… you know…"

"Killed my father? No. The police ruled it accidental, and since I couldn't remember anything, I didn't argue with them. I was just relieved to be free of him."

Murdock shook his head, "Wait a minute. They broke into your hotel room, cuffed you, and interrogated you. You told them you couldn't remember anything, and they just left?"

"Umm…" Angie murmured, looking away.

"I didn't think so," Murdock said with a deep sigh, "What happened? How did you get free?"

"I was rescued," Angie said softly.

"Thank God!" Murdock said, "Someone called the police?"

Angie shook her head, "Apparently, the military was waiting for them. I was bait."

"Bait?" Murdock growled, his eyes narrowing, "They knew that men were coming after you and they let them? Why?"

"Same reason the men came after me," Angie said, wincing as his grip on her shoulders tightened.

"Us?" Murdock ground out, "They let those guys rough you up so they could see if you knew where we were?"

Angie gave a tiny nod, "Colonel Decker apologized, though," she added gently.

Murdock snorted, releasing her and twisting around to lean heavily against the counter, his fingertips brushing the razor, "Decker apologized?" Murdock asked tightly, toying with the blade. He spun back towards her, "He wouldn't apologize to you unless…"

Angie crossed her arms and stared down at the tile floor.

"How far?" Murdock whispered, "How far did he let them go? What did they do to you?"

"I'm fine," Angie murmured.

Murdock stepped forward and gently took her face in his hand, making her look up into his eyes. His thumb tenderly wiped away the tear that she had been unable to hold back.

"Please," he said, "I have to know."

Angie closed her eyes, "At first they just threatened to shoot me," she whispered, "Then they hit me a few times," Murdock whined deep in his throat, "When they finally realized I couldn't tell them anything, they decided they'd have some fun before they killed me."

"No," Murdock breathed.

"They were friends of my father; after all," Angie said derisively, "They knew what I was good for." More tears escaped her closed eyes. "Decker came before they could…" she swallowed and shuddered, "He snapped the headboard in half with his bare hands," she said with a small smile.

"Decker? Why?" Murdock asked, relieved but confused.

Angie opened her eyes and stared up at him, "I was freaking out," she said softly, "tearing my wrists to pieces. He couldn't get me to calm down until I was free. So he freed me."

Murdock pulled her into his arms, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," he whispered.

"Colonel Decker said he would have stopped them sooner, but…" Angie snapped her mouth shut, cutting off what she was about to say.

"But he thought we were going to rescue you," Murdock finished, sickened.

Angie nodded, "Not your fault," she said softly, "None of it is. Sometimes things just happen."

"I'll make it up to you," Murdock said, "I swear."

Angie looked up at him, "You already did."

Murdock sobbed a laugh, shaking his head.

**Can't Fight This Feeling**  
**Reo Speedwagon**

I can't fight this feeling any longer.  
And yet I'm still afraid to let it flow.  
What started out as friendship,  
Has grown stronger.  
I only wish I had the strength to let it show.

I tell myself that I can't hold out forever.  
I said there is no reason for my fear.  
Cause I feel so secure when we're together.  
You give my life direction,  
You make everything so clear.

And even as I wander,  
I'm keeping you in sight.  
You're a candle in the window,  
On a cold, dark winter's night.  
And I'm getting closer than I ever thought I might.

And I can't fight this feeling anymore.  
I've forgotten what I started fighting for.  
It's time to bring this ship into the shore,  
And throw away the oars, forever.

Cause I can't fight this feeling anymore.  
I've forgotten what I started fighting for.  
And if I have to crawl upon the floor,  
Come crashing through your door,  
Baby, I can't fight this feeling anymore.

My life has been such a whirlwind since I saw you.  
I've been running round in circles in my mind.  
And it always seems that I'm following you, girl,  
Cause you take me to the places,  
That alone I'd never find.

And even as I wander,  
I'm keeping you in sight.  
You're a candle in the window,  
On a cold, dark winter's night.  
And I'm getting closer than I ever thought I might.

And I can't fight this feeling anymore.  
I've forgotten what I started fighting for.  
It's time to bring this ship into the shore,  
And throw away the oars, forever.

Cause I can't fight this feeling anymore.  
I've forgotten what I started fighting for.  
And if I have to crawl upon the floor,  
Come crashing through your door,  
Baby, I can't fight this feeling anymore.


	13. All In

Chapter 13

**All In**

He could feel her trembling as he held her arm still, gently slicing through the dark stitching. He reached for the tweezers, slowly pulling the threads free and dropping them into the trash. Finally finishing her right wrist, he wiped away the droplets of blood and wrapped it tightly.

Murdock looked up, happy he could do something to help her. His expression fell as he took in her pale face, her lower lip red and swollen where she had been biting it.

"Did I hurt you?" Murdock asked in concern.

Angie shook her head.

"What's wrong?" he asked, his voice rising in befuddlement.

Angie sighed, looking down and mumbling, "My heart says trust you, but my mind is screaming at me."

Murdock tried to mask his hurt with a joke, "Pesky voices!"

Angie chuckled weakly and offered him her other wrist

Murdock took her hand, "I would never hurt you," he said softly, squeezing her palm.

She smiled tightly at him, "You're a man," she whispered, "But I love you, so…" she shrugged.

Murdock sighed, frowning deeply, "I'll just have to prove it, then."

Angie smiled again, genuinely, "Well, these stitches won't come out by themselves," she said, tugging.

When he finished her other wrist, they went outside. Face was sunning by the pool, his shirt neatly folded over the fence. Hannibal stood, puffing away on a cigar and studying the layout. B.A. was hunched over a piece of machinery, tiny screwdriver turning furiously as he grumbled at the pile of parts.

"Have any idea what ya'll want for dinner?" Angie asked.

"Got chicken?" B.A. asked without looking up from his project.

Angie grinned, "How 'bout fried chicken, turnip greens, and mashed potatoes with gravy? And a homemade pie? Cherry or blueberry?"

The men looked at her with wide, hungry eyes.

"You can cook?" Face asked.

Angie laughed and nodded, "Been cookin' since I was old enough to reach the stove. My mom was a great cook."

"I haven't had a real cherry pie for years," Hannibal commented.

Angie scrunched her nose, "I use the sour ones in the can. They taste fresh but I don't have to pit them. I can't stand that syrupy pie-filling stuff! So, cherry pie it is!"

"Can I help?" Murdock asked.

Angie looked up at him in surprise, "You cook?"

He nodded quickly.

Murdock started the chicken and cut the turnips as Angie put the potatoes on and mixed up the pie crust.

Murdock yipped and jumped backwards when the oil popped, shielding his face with the frilly pink apron he'd donned.

Angie laughed, shaking her head. He looked at her, affronted, but started laughing himself as he saw the streaks of flour on her face. Throwing a glance to the sizzling chicken, he picked up a cloth and brushed the flour off her face. Her hands were coated in crust, so Angie just closed her eyes and smiled gently.

"Thanks," she said as he went back to his cooking.

Murdock smiled at her.

Within an hour the dinner was finished and consumed, the pie cooling as the men sipped on a cup of coffee.

"Good food," B.A. said, his clean plate testifying to his truthfulness. Face leaned back with a groan.

"I'm so full!"

Angie smiled, "Too full for pie?" she teased.

"Never," Hannibal said with a chuckle.

After dessert, Hannibal, Face, and B.A. went into the house to watch the game.

Murdock helped Angie clean off the table and load the dishwasher, taking the tablecloth from her as she went to put it away.

"Want to finish our date?" Murdock asked softly, gesturing towards the window with the view of a grassy hill.

Angie grabbed his arm, swaying at the memory of that disastrous night.

Murdock dropped the tablecloth and took hold of her waist, "Angie?" he asked, concerned.

Angie hugged him tightly, "I'm so sorry I got mad at you that night," she apologized, crying quietly.

Murdock comforted her, laughing lightly as he remembered his dread.

"What?" she asked, looking up at him through her tears.

"You're scary when you're angry," he said with a grin.

Angie chuckled, "Don't make me angry. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry."

"Hulk smash!" Murdock added, growling for effect.

They both laughed and Murdock picked up the tablecloth. He took her arm in his and escorted her out.

The view from the grassy knoll was breathtaking. The moon was just a thin crescent in the sky, the stars blinking with almost unnatural intensity. Angie was nestled on his shoulder, their hands entwined between them.

"Tell me about them," Angie asked quietly.

Murdock kissed the crown of her head and pointed, "Those stars in a row are Orion's Belt. And that's the Big and Little Dipper. That one is the North Star. It never moves. If you ever get lost, you just find that star and it'll lead you home."

"Home," Angie murmured, glancing towards the house.

"Home is where the heart is," Murdock said seriously.

Angie looked up at him, "Then I'm home."

Murdock turned on his side and pulled her close, kissing her passionately.

Angie gasped as he sucked gently on the soft skin of her neck, his body shifting over hers.

He pulled back slightly, "This okay?"

"Mmm hmm," Angie hummed, nodding.

Murdock kissed her again and then sat up, "Maybe we should go inside. It's getting late."

"Okay," Angie said softly, looking down.

Murdock stood and helped her up. They walked back to the house in silence, Angie's gaze never rising from the grass.

The house was dark and quiet. The others had gone to bed. Angie took his hand and led him down the dim hallway, stopping outside her room.

She opened the door, revealing a room lit only in moonlight. The sleigh bed was tasteful, elegant and did not have a single place for anyone to be tied to. The rest of the furniture sat delicately against the walls, lost in the shadows.

Angie stepped inside, turning to look up at him, "You coming?" she asked, her voice barely audible.

Murdock looked down at her, his eyes wide, "You want to…?"

Angie bit her lip and nodded, tugging gently at his hand.

He stepped inside, shutting the door behind him, "You're sure about this?" he asked.

"Yes," she stated definitively.

Murdock raised a shaking hand to her face, "I won't hurt you, ever," he whispered.

Angie leaned into his hand, kissing his palm.

-000-

"You're so beautiful," Murdock gasped, his bare chest vibrating against her skin.

Angie looked up at him with wide eyes, still catching her breath.

"What was _that_?" she asked.

Murdock looked down at her in confusion, "What?"

"It felt… good!" she said in surprise.

Murdock rolled off of her, sitting up slightly, "You never… It never felt good for you before?"

Angie shook her head, looking up at him with awe.

Murdock frowned, "But if you thought you wouldn't… enjoy it, why did you want to… do… it?" he stuttered, blushing uncomfortably.

Angie smiled and kissed his shoulder, "Because it would make you happy," she said simply.

Murdock grimaced and sat up, turning away from her.

"H.M.?" she asked worriedly, "Did I do something wrong?"

Murdock sighed deeply before standing and turning to look at her, "Angie, how far would you go to make me happy?" he asked with a deep frown.

Angie scowled and crossed her arms as she looked down, "I told you, I love you."

"And if I wanted to tie you to the bed? Would you let me? If it would make me happy?"

Angie smiled playfully up at him, sliding from the bed and standing close, "You wouldn't have to do that. I'm more than willing to do whatever you ask…" she said, running her hand up his side.

Murdock shivered and leaned closer but would not be distracted, "What if I asked you to sleep with one of my friends? With Hannibal?"

Angie pulled away and crossed her arms, hunching slightly. She bit her lip and shuddered, her head shaking side to side unconsciously as tears came to her eyes.

Murdock watched as she swallowed hard and forced herself to drop her arms and look up at him, "If it would make you happy… Yes," she whispered.

"No!" Murdock shouted, grabbing her shoulders and bending to her eye level, "That's not the way it should be! You shouldn't do things you clearly don't want to do to make me happy! To make anyone happy! You have to stand up for yourself! Protect yourself!"

"How far?" Angie asked, her voice cracking as tears fell from her eyes, "How far do I go? How many times can I say no before I'm alone again? Isn't it better to be used than it is to be alone?"

"Is it?" Murdock asked, his fingers tracing the scar from her father's knife.

Angie flinched away, breaking his grip and turning towards the bed, "Get out," she said softly.

"Angie, I was just trying to…"

"Get out!" she interrupted, her voice a growl.

"Okay," Murdock said quietly. He slid into his boxers and picked up his clothes. He opened the door and paused, "I love you, Angie. Goodnight." He shut the door behind him.

-000-

His room was right next to hers. In the silence of the darkness he could hear her crying. He rested his palm on the wall, wishing he could comfort her. It twisted his stomach as he thought of what he'd asked her and how she'd responded.

As her crying slowed and finally stopped, Murdock let his hand drop from the wall. He was exhausted. The silhouettes of model airplanes spun in the moonlight, lulling him to sleep.

Her soft cry of distress woke him hours later, the absolute pitch-blackness of the early morning making him blink rapidly as his eyes tried to see. Sliding from his bed, Murdock stumbled from the room, her quiet whimpers guiding him to her.

He knocked quickly and then entered, stopping in confusion at the sight of her empty bed. Another cry came from the direction of the closet and Murdock's heart fell as he saw the corner of the comforter peeking out from under the closet door.

He opened the door and looked down. Curled up on the floor of the small closet, tangled in the white comforter, Angie moaned and twitched in her sleep.

Murdock kneeled down next to her and rested his hand on her arm, "Angie, wake up, Honey," he whispered.

With a gasp, Angie's eyes shot open and she pulled away, shielding her face with her arms.

Murdock froze. After a second, she peered around her tiny fists and looked at him. She shot forward, hugging him tightly.

"Don't go, don't go!" she sobbed, clinging to him.

He wrapped his arms around her, pressing his face into her hair, "I'm not leaving," he said softly, "I'm here. Shh, it's okay. I'm here."

"I'm sorry I yelled at you," she cried, "I don't want you to go."

"I'm sorry I got upset," Murdock said, "But I want you to be happy."

She looked up at him, "You were mad because I wasn't happy?"

"Of course! Why did you think I got upset? I love you, and I never want you to do something you don't want to! No matter how much you think it will please someone!"

"So, you're not leaving?" she whispered fearfully.

Murdock grinned at her, "You'd have to blow me outta here with dynamite!"

He kissed her reverently, lifting her, blanket and all, and taking her out of the closet. He set her down carefully on the bed and lay down next to her, holding her gently.

"Now, go to sleep. I'll still be here in the morning," he promised.

She squirmed back to spoon against him, "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, My Love."

FIN

AN: Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed my 'little' story, lol! I am thinking of continuing this- maybe set a few years down the line. But I wanted to ask your opinion. Is Decker a good guy or a bad guy? I can see him both ways- determined to catch the A-Team at any cost, but willing to show them mercy. What do you think? What would you like to see him as? Or is he neither good nor bad? Is he more complex than that? Please tell me why. Your assignment, should you choose to accept it…

**All In**  
**Lifehouse**

All night staring at the ceiling  
counting for minutes I've been feeling this way  
So far away and so alone

But you know it's alright  
I came to my senses  
Letting go of my defenses  
There's no way I'm giving up this time  
Yeah, you know I'm right here  
I'm not losing you this time

And I'm all in, nothing left to hide  
I'm falling harder than a landslide  
I spent a week away from you last night  
And now I'm calling, calling out your name  
Even if I lose the game, I'm all in  
I'm all in tonight, yeah I'm all in, I'm all in for life

There's no taking back what we've got  
Too strong, we've had each other's back for too long  
There's no breaking up this time  
And you know it's okay, I came to my senses  
Letting go of my defenses  
There's no way I'm giving up this time

And I'm all in, nothing left to hide  
I'm falling harder than a landslide  
I spent a week away from you last night  
And now I'm calling, calling out your name  
Even if I lose the game, I'm all in  
I'm all in tonight, yeah I'm all in, I'm all in for life

I want it, I want it, I want it  
I want it, I want it, I want it, yeah  
I want it, I want it, I want it, yeah

And I'm all in, calling out your name  
Even if I lose the game, I'm all in, I'm all in for life  
And I'm all in, nothing left to hide  
I'm falling harder than a landslide  
I spent a week away from you last night  
And now I'm calling, calling out your name  
Even if I lose the game, I'm all in  
I'm all in tonight, yeah I'm all in, I'm all in for life  
Yeah I'm all in, I'm all in for life


End file.
